Amore Eterno
by EvelonFox
Summary: Eternal love; an absolute. Follow Evelyn, a girl from Fortree, and her best friend, Draco the Charmander, as they both evolve figuratively and literally into something beautiful, but secret while uncovering the dark past of her mother, and a darker future
1. I'll Hold You

**Disclaimer:** Pokemon and all licensed Pokemon merchandise, including characters, are strictly property of Nintendo. In short; I own nothing but ideas. Any names and/or likeness pertaining to real people or characters is strictly coincidental (unless it's an allegory). All rights reserved.

**Warning:** This will, in later chapters, contain sex, including normal intercourse, oral, some violence borderline to rape. It will also include violence (not in sex). The story will be updated to include those warnings upon the posting of the first chapter to include that subject. All chapters with sex are marked with **XXX** at the beginning of their description.

**Summary:** The innocent beginning. A storm full of fear hides two beings full of untapped loved. Can the two find one another, or be washed away? How strong is your love for someone you don't know?

Hold on to them, and they'll hold on to you.

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Chapter 1

**I'll Hold You**

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The windows were rattling from the force of the howling wind outside, and eight year old Evelyn snuggled herself closer to her grandfather, warm in the glow of his body and the light of the television. He wrapped an arm around her, rubbing her shoulder in what he hoped would comfort the poor dear. He looked down at her, her eyes glued to the wavering windows as rain pelted the house at such an angle that it sounded almost like gunfire.

Maybe it was the fact that she lived in an area that rained constantly, or that she was shrouded by trees, but one thing was for sure; she looked paler than usual there in the television light. Professor Yew didn't want to admit it, but he knew his granddaughter was a bit...reclusive. She hid in their house in the trees most of time, went out to play every so often, but on the whole she was oddly reserved. He commended such an attitude toward her mother, rest her soul. Evelyn looked up at him and gave him a weak but brave little smile, and he had to smile back.

He couldn't resist a grin when he saw her eyes, the same eyes as his daughter; a vibrant violet. It was, perhaps, the only abnormality about her, physically. Kids today, with blue hair, spiked and awkward; he couldn't understand it. No, his granddaughter just had thick, wavy black hair, cut to frame her face and reach just below her shoulders. He had teased her once, pointing to a boy in the Poke'Mart with green, spiky hair.

"How would you like to have hair like that?" he asked her. Evelyn, holding her grandfather's hand as they stood in line, looked at the boy and wrinkled her nose before looking up at him, shaking her head.

"Oh? Why not?" he asked as they moved up the line and he began placing his items on the table. Being a researcher, he found himself visiting the Poke'Mart and Center frequently, which he wasn't surprised to find that Evelyn loved.

"My hair looks like my mommy's..." was her reply, trailing off as her attention was snagged by a young lady in the store with a silver Vulpix. Both what his granddaughter had said, and her current fascination stopped him dead. He wondered if she remembered that night...if she didn't, it was for the best. One thing was for sure, Evelyn had adopted her mother's love for what many call "Shineys". His daughter was a leader in researching for the group that studied these creatures; their order known as the Opal Tower. It was actually spelled Shinais, and pronounced differently, but most people just said shiny.

Evelyn gave another shiver as the tree their house was built on swayed. His courage failing him, Professor Yew shivered too. It wasn't until the T.V. went out that panic began descending on the both of them. If this storm was large enough to sway a tree as large as this, push the windows to near breaking point, and cut off their only source of light, it was a storm not worth his pride.

"Gran?" mewed Evelyn as the Professor shot up suddenly, running to his study in the other room. She could hear the snapping of briefcase clasps and the ruffling of papers. She could see him, since the house had no inner doors, and he was muttering something to himself that she couldn't hear over the storm. When his voice began to come through, she frowned and looked to the window; the storm was subsiding? She walked to it and looked up through the breaks in the treetops and was surprised to see...blue sky?

"Gran, I think it's over..." she shouted to him, feeling silly since it was no longer necessary to shout. Often times, though, she had to, since his hearing was off. He came strolling briskly through the room, a backpack full of who-knows-what on his back, a briefcase in one hand, and his other outstretched, which she readily took.

"No, sweetheart," he said softly as lead her out the door and across a hanging bridge. "We're in the eye of the storm. It'll be calm for a while, then get bad again."

"Are we going to the Center?" she asked. He grandfather nodded. Evelyn looked around as other people in other houses were escaping their temporary prisons, opting instead for the safe haven of the Center. They made their way down steep stairs carved in trees, some circular, some through arches, twist and turns through the labyrinth in the trees. As they came to the ground, walking as fast as they could through dense, wet tall-grass, Evelyn could make out the voice of Nurse Joy.

"Hurry, everyone! Five minutes, and it starts up again. Hurry!" she shouted. They made their way in, shaking the water from their feet. Her grandfather had boots on, at least, but Evelyn was dressed for bed; bare feet, blue pajama bottoms, and a little white tank top. The eight year old didn't care at all; wet feet in the jungle was something she was not only used to, but fond of. They settled down in the cushions of the crowded lobby, a dull roar waving through. Louder rolls of thunder and disappearing light from the windows hushed the room as doors were slammed shut and the storm descended its wrath once more.

All was relatively calm for quite some time, until a loud banging made half the lobby, Evelyn and her grandfather included, jump. A voice, easily identified as Officer Jenny even through a storm, shouted from its other side.

"Open up! Open up, damn it; it's an emergency!"

Nurse Joy and a few trainers ran to open the doors and let Officer Jenny through. She spurted and coughed, shaking some water off and catching her breath.

"What is it, Officer?" asked Joy. Jenny finally took a deep breath.

"I was on my way here when I received a distress message from the weather research center down the river; their power is out and the river is beginning to overflow!"

"Oh goodness..." gasped Nurse Joy, looking now to the lobby full of people and Pokemon, some well and some truly sick.

"I need help!" pleaded Officer Jenny impatiently, trying to make it apparent that this wasn't something to ponder over a cup of tea.

"Yes, I know, but I cannot leave my patients!" confessed Joy, she turned back to the room to address its occupants. "Will anyone here volunteer to rescue the people-"

"-and Pokemon." interjected Jenny.

"-and Pokemon of the weather research lab down the river?!"

A roar of volunteers began, many shooting straight past Jenny and out the door. Since her grandfather began to rise, Evelyn did to, but he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"No, Eve," he said, "You stay here. We have Pokemon to protect us, and I'm not letting you out in this storm."

Without so much as another word, he took off for the doors with the rest of the crowd. Now, it wasn't that Evelyn was a disobedient child; far from it. It was simply a panic she had, a fear that would never leave her for her entire life that set her out that door too, hidden in the taller masses of people. Evelyn was terrified of being alone. Alone was a word that hurt her, somehow, in a way she couldn't describe, and the idea that her only family was alone as well, was something she wouldn't tolerate.

The rain was beginning to fall now, getting heavier and harder quickly. The trainers all ran down the path along the river, past the Bidoof dam, some ran around the tall grass, some through it. Evelyn, never one to shy from the grass, ran through it, a mistake that would have a massive effect on the rest of her life. Just into the mass her right food, bare to the world, connected with something hard and rough, sending her over, flat on her face in the mud. She looked back at the offending object, wincing at the throb in her foot. She nearly screamed, but certainly stuttered back on her hands and feet a few inches. It was a large portion of a tree branch felled by the storm, but under it, trapped by its weight, was a hissing and spitting Ekans, one of Evelyn's least favorite Pokemon.

Before she could react any further, Officer Jenny sped past on her motorcycle, followed by some running trainers, and Evelyn gave a small sigh; it was fortunate that she was tripped. Officer Jenny knew her, and no doubt would have grabbed her and sent her right back to the Center. Evelyn returned her attention to the Ekans and felt a tug of both gratitude and sympathy, watching the poor thing writhe and squirm, trying to break free. Evelyn pushed her foot forward just a bit, feeling the rough wood as it rolled from her efforts, off the Ekans, which slithered off without another word...

The sky was falling by this point as Evelyn returned to running after the group, after her grandfather, but the path she used to know so well was shrouded now in the blurring sheets of pouring rain, waves of it rippling against the beaten path. Holding her arm up in a vain attempt at blocking rain, she squinted to see where to go, when she thought she heard some sort of coughing. She paused, trying to hear through the wind and thunder. No, there it was again!

She went toward the sound, toward the bank of the river, searching the choppy water for anything. A bit of pink caught her eye, and she carefully moved down the slippery grass of the bank. A male Nitoran was clinging to grass desperately, holding himself as far above the water as he could, but the current was pulling him, and the grass was beginning to uproot. Evelyn quickly reached forward, grabbing its little hands and yanking it right up. It blinked at her, and then squirmed for freedom. She placed him down, and he scurried up the embankment, but stopped abruptly at the top to look back at her. It jerked its head in a funny way, and cried at her once, before running off.

Evelyn frowned, as she began her way back up the bank, having to use her hand on the steep and slippery side. She was no Nurse Joy; she didn't run off to save Pokemon, but she certainly couldn't watch one drown or be trapped. Selfishly, she hoped no other stupid Pokemon would hold her up. Though, she thought as she slipped slightly and caught herself again; that was odd. She'd never had a Pokemon clearly try and communicate to her. She wondered what he meant...

It was this thought that was interrupted by a loud crack. Not of thunder, but of wood. Evelyn first turned her attention to the trees across the river, but a second crack made the source known, and her heart skipped a beat. The Bidoof dam was bowed and split in the middle, and it was just Murphy's law that she noticed just in time to watch it burst, a wall of water, gushing past. Looking back, part of Evelyn knew that, even if she'd made it up the bank, she still would have been caught up. At the moment, however, she was so sure she was dead. Her world went deaf and blind at the same time as she was swirled and tossed underwater. It was by some miracle that she surfaced, taking a huge lung full of air like she'd never breathed before in her life, eyes wide and panicked.

Now she was struggling to stay surfaced, and truly lost, no longer on the clear river, but being pushed through trees like a human pinball. Every time she reached out to grab something, it slipped through her hand like air. That is, until something caught her, tiny as it was. A pressure, cool and warm at the same time, like bathwater, grabbed her hand. She looked up to see a Charmander like none she'd seen before, undoubtedly a Shiny. He was balanced on a log that didn't look as though it were sturdy, even before the storm, one hand grasping on a tree branch for dear life, the other grabbing her's for the same reason, just not his own. He provided the only light in her world now, and sound began to return as her ears stayed above water.

His tail flame was beautiful, if fire could be called that. It was blue and white, but dwindling dangerously in the rain. It was enough light for her to see him. Black scales, red belly, and amazing blue eyes. It was his eyes that fascinated Evelyn, and he seemed to think the same to her. A wave of water interrupted whatever moment there was here, and the little Charmander tried valiantly to keep her, tightening his grip, but she slipped from it. She was fortunate, however, to now have her wits about her, and immediately latch herself onto a tree barely three feet from the Charmander's. A tree branch, or what was left of it, was just a bit above the water here, and she kicked and treed water until she could lift herself up onto it, one leg on either side. When she was settled, she looked back to the Charmander, who had the most anxious look she'd ever seen on his face, one hand still on the tree, and the other still outstretched but limp.

She smiled at him, a different smile than she gave her grandfather to reassure him, and was delighted when the little creature relaxed and smiled back. One moment of grinning was broken in a heartbeat, however. A loud snap shot through the air as the thinner tree branches, wounded, and taught as they were bent by the winds and water gave way in a tree near them. One thin branch, flexible and young, whipped down into the water, its tip catching the Charmander across the face and down his neck, making him scream out, his grip on the tree faltered. He hunched down in pain, grabbing the log he was on as it was rushed almost past Evelyn.

"No!" she shouted, reaching forward and impulsively grabbing his tail, right near the fire. Panic shot through her at the notion, and her grip released instinctively. That split second was enough to reanimate the Charmander, who reached out and grabbed a little twig that grew off her tree branch. His grip slipped, snapping the little leaf extensions on the twig that provided him what little friction it had to offer.

She was not burned...in that moment, Evelyn felt no pain. She looked at the Charmander, now clinging to the branch so desperately, knowing that he had not burned her but she had let go. She scooted down the branch, occasionally reaching forward, testing her arm's length, to get to him. Once she was close enough, she wriggled her fingers at him.

"C'mon...c'mon, what are waiting for? Take my hand," she whispered to him. Why she was whispering to him, she wasn't sure; it felt like the right thing to do. Guilt built up in her stomach when he gave her hand a skeptical look. He was only hanging by one hand, his other gripping the log under him, which was beginning to deteriorate in the rushing water. Either his hand would slip or his log would eventually disappear, either way, he wouldn't be able to keep his tail out of the water, and though Evelyn did not know this little fact about his species, all she had to know was that in a battle between fire and water, fire was a victim every time.

He wasn't letting go, and she couldn't really blame him. She'd already stupidly let him go once. Her eyes were building with tears, mostly of frustration at the stubborn beast. She didn't want to watch him disappear; she didn't want him to be alone.

"I'll hold you...I promise, please! I'll hold you!" she pleaded. He was looking at her through one good eye, the left having a cut at its corner was tinged with blood. He took a deep breath, loud enough for her to hear and anticipate his next move. He let go of the twig and reached for her hand as fast as he could. She stretched forward, fingertips catching his and pulling him sharply enough to grab the rest of his hand securely. No sooner was this done than the log he was on split, and Evelyn jerked him harshly toward her. He collided to her chest with a thump, and there he stayed, clinging to her and shaking with what Evelyn knew were sobs. She knew, because she was crying with him.

They would remain in that tree until the water subsided, and a search party was sent for her. They found her, ten feet up in a tree, covered in filth and mud and blood from the Charmander, who completely refused to let go of her, ripping her tank top a few times before she pleaded with the adults, "Let me hold him, let me hold him!" So she was carried by her grandfather, and she carried the Charmander, both so exhausted that they had passed into slumber before they could make it to the Center...

"The silly thing won't let me touch him..." sighed Nurse Joy, two days later. Obviously her medical and matricidal pride was punctured by this fact. Professor Yew frowned at the Nurse on his doorstep, wondering why it was his business if a Charmander was refusing treatment...then he recalled. No sooner had he turned around, Evelyn was standing right there, in the middle of the living room. A few cuts and bruises, but otherwise unharmed and now clean and in a fresh pair of jeans and a tank top. She was looking at him wordlessly, and he jerked his head toward Nurse Joy. He was still very cross with her. If he wasn't already bald headed and grey bearded, she'd have caused enough stress to do so. She nodded and padded across the floor, barefoot as usual, and left with the nurse.

"See what you can do...be careful, though. He's wild," said the nurse when they arrived at the Center. The Charmander was sitting in a ward, last bed on the left, tucked in a corner. He wasn't looking at anything but the sheets in front of him, sitting very much like a child, hands flat on the bed between his legs. Evelyn felt like she might cry again, especially when she was close enough to see his wound better. The filth that had built in the slash wasn't washed out, and it was obviously very infected, sped up by the massive amount of goodness only knows what that was in the water that night.

"Hey," was all she could manage when she came up next to him. He visibly jumped a little, startled, and looked up at her with wide eyes. He smiled a wide, child's smile, reaching out to her, and Evelyn's heart fluttered. She moved in to sit next to him, scooping him into a hug. He was a bit smaller than her, but not too much; enough for a satisfying hug. When they parted and she settled him in her lap, facing away from her, she had to stop him from squirming around toward her again. She giggled a little, and he did too, but then she held him firmly, and the smiles subsided a bit.

"We have to heal you," she said, not really knowing all the mechanics of it yet. She nodded to Nurse Joy, who waved weakly at him, and he growled a little. Evelyn tightened her hold on him, but not in warning; in comfort. It caught his attention, and he looked to her.

"I'll hold you, okay?" she asked. He looked at her for a moment, back to the nurse, then back to Evelyn before he nodded once. It was painful to watch as Nurse Joy cleaned the slash that started just above the outer corner of his left eye, passed over it and down his face, his neck, and stopped at his collarbone. He was wriggling a little, and he cried with tears but not sobs, but behaved. She distracted him by playing with his tail. Evelyn reached out, tentatively at first. The initial fear of "it's fire, it'll burn you, you idiot" had to be forcibly silenced in her head before she pushed her hand through the flames. It was like the feeling when he had first grabbed her hand. It was warm and cool, flowing, like bathwater or steam. Yes...steam was more accurate. Nurse Joy chuckled a little.

"He must like you," she said, when Evelyn gave her an inquiring look, "the Char species' tail fire won't hurt or burn unless they want it to. He must like you."

Professor Yew came by that afternoon when Evelyn didn't come home, only to see her asleep, curled with the oddly colored Charmander. Nurse Joy caught his eye across the ward and excused herself from a patient to come to him.

"His wound is healed, but his stubborn behavior will cost him a nasty scar. He wouldn't have to have one if he just let me keep it from infection," she sighed, looking at the pair on the bed. She smiled at the sight.

"I know...you hold ill feelings to the Shinys-" she began, but the Professor cut her off.

"Only the people who study them without mercy," he corrected, never taking his eyes off the pair. Nurse Joy glanced to him, and then sighed.

"I doubt that will be the only scar he has," she said. Professor Yew finally tore his eyes from the scene, looking to her with a question in his gaze. She elaborated, "He's utterly mute..."

"Huh..." was all the Professor could manage. Nurse Joy wanted to ask him if he was going to shelter the creature, but a glance to the bed said that neither of them had any choice anymore. She smiled, gave him a pat on the back, and went away to her rounds. Professor Yew stepped forward and sat in the guest stool next to the bed, gently nudging his granddaughter. Shifted awake and looked up to him before sitting up carefully, not waking the Charmander.

"Gran, can we-" she started, but he cut her off with a thoughtful voice, looking at a potted plant in the corner with a lost expression.

"We'll have to name him..." he said, "and you can't 'catch' him until your ten, and then there's food, and- Ouf!"

Evelyn had launched herself to hug her grandfather, who patted her on the head, listening to her gratitude as it spilled from her lips like sand from a sieve. "Thank you" this, and "I'm so sorry, Gran" that, and lots of "I promise"es. He nodded, mostly to hurry her along, before he changed his mind.

"But...Gran...I don't know anything about him," she confessed, wringing her hands in worry not befitting an eight year old.

"Well...he's a Charmander, a fire type," he said. She gave him a look that could only be translated to "Duh, Gran", so he continued. "He has two evolutions, he's part of the fire dragon family, Draco del fuoco, and can learn moves like Dragon Claw, or Fire Blast, or-"

"Wait, Gran; say that again." said Evelyn. Her old grandfather faltered a bit, muttering as he retraced his own train of thought.

"Oh, Fire Blast? It's a very powerful-"

"No, no! Before that, Gran. Draco something..."

"Oh? Draco del fuoco? Dragon of fire, or fire dragon. Why?"

She was looking at him like she wasn't really seeing him, a look that pained him, for it too belonged to his daughter, but he knew the gears were turning in that little head.

"That's his name," she said, so matter-of-factually that for a moment, Professor Yew almost wanted to say "Well, of course it is". He blinked.

"Draco del fuoco? A bit of a mouthful, swee-"

"No, Grandad. Just...Draco." she sighed, now looking back at the sleeping Charmander. Professor Yew smiled and patted her on the head. In the years to come, she would not treat Draco like he were a pet, but like he was a friend, a next-door neighbor she always played with. She would insist that either he eat at the table or else she wouldn't eat at all. She shared her bed with him, got up early on the weekend to watch cartoons with him, and managed to convince the teacher come the next semester to let him come to school. The world was ready to throw the most traumatic and difficult tasks at them in the future, tasks building for decades only to come crashing down on this very pair. For now, however, neither knew nor cared. They would go through those trials, they would face those terrible odds...

And they would hold onto each other through it all.

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**Chapter End Notes:**

_Silver linings and rainbows; happy things come from a storm so large. However, this is just the beginning._

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_

Next Chapter:** One Step Forward**

The journey truly sets off with new knowledge of family secrets...  
_


	2. One Step Forward

Five years later, life has changed surprisingly little for Evelyn and Draco, but now that she has reached thirteen, one critical test awaits her. Passing this tests will only lead to more...

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Chapter 2

**One Step Forward**

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Evelyn was actually feeling a little bit..._nervous_! She was shifting her weight back and forth between feet, Draco held securely in her arms, looking more bored than anything else. She was thirteen now, and was entitled to Pokegear, if her grades showed that she was responsible enough, which they most certianly did. Today, she was standing outside the one room school building of Fortree City, five of her fellow classmates standing next to her.

Denis, a fresh-faced blond boy with an aptitude for technology that would make any nerd bow to him, skinny as he was. His Shinx was adorable, and though Evelyn was not prone to girlish behavior, even she gave the usual "awww"s whenever the little thing yawned (which he did quite often.) Next to him was Claire, a red-headed girl just a bit shorter than Evelyn, who was the tallest girl of her age in the city. What she lacked in height, she made up for in ferocity. She too had a fire Pokemon, a Vulpix, and Evelyn never wanted to battle with Claire again..._ever_! Last time, she won by a fluke; Claire's Vulpix was clumsy with her attacks, and Draco wasn't.

Then Blake, a nasty boy Evelyn couldn't stand. Gelled black hair, short and brushed back, gave his pale and pointed features the harshness that went so well with his personality. He was surreptitious little prick, she'd decided. Sneaky and cunning, and his Ekans was no different. Bitterly, Evelyn wondered if that was the same Ekans from the night of the hurricane. Next to him was Lisa, one of the sweetest people Evelyn had ever met in her life. Short, mousy brown hair and forever wearing dresses and skirts, her favorite colors of which were limited to pinks and whites. She was the worst battler of all, but she was the best trainer, odd as that works out. Her Eevee adored her, and the affection was returned in full.

Finally, standing right next to Evelyn, was one of her best friends, Mark. He was very handsome, she had to admit; tanned skin, masculine features already, and tallest in the class. He was never one for hygiene, which bothered her. His hair was shoulder length, but held back in a relaxed pony-tail, a few strands falling loose around his face. He was a solid and stubborn boy, but a reliable friend. His Geodude was asleep at his feet, warm in the early morning sunlight.

Their teacher, Master Broxton, was handing each of them several things. A Pokedex, Pokegear, and a bag; backpacks for the boys, messenger bags for the girls. Evelyn straightened up when she could see his salt and pepper hair just past Mark. He came to Evelyn, smiling at her apprehensive stance, then handed her a purple-themed Pokegear and Pokedex, and a plain grey messenger bag. He clapped his hands together and backed up a few paces, taking a moment to observe.

"Take a look at yourselves, my young pupils; a good, deep look...are you ready? Are you dressed for success?" he said to them, a sudden solemness taking over his features. Evelyn wasn't sure what this was suppose to mean. She'd changed, certianly; she was thirteen for crying out loud! She'd learned to put her hair up in a ponytail, letting the amount of hair that was her 'bangs' stay free to split and frame her face.

Otherwise...clothing, yes; he'd asked them to dress for adventure, whatever that meant. She always felt like she had. She had a grey shirt with a wide opening so that it left her shoulders bare, supported only by the short sleeves at the end. This would be indecent if she weren't wearing a purple "wife-beater" over that (she often joked that it was the "evolved form of a tank top.") Neither were quite long enough, showing a bit of midriff, which was a blessing in the hot and humid jungle. She had black tights that only went down to just above her knees, and over this was a blue denim skirt that went to about mid thigh.

Evelyn inwardly groaned. Not the most...orthodox system of clothing, but she found it very comfortable in this damn sticky weather. At least her grandfather had bought her new running shoes; purple to boot! That was the only plus here, where she knew she should have spent more time on her wardrobe. A nudge at her side snapped her back into focus, and she looked down the line of her classmates, all of whom had seen her look herself over so critically, all of them laughing.

"Not literally, Evelyn," sighed Master Broxton, and Evelyn blushed. She did have a habit of taking things quite literally, which was contradicting to her sarcastic nature. Master Broxton adjusted his vest and then gave an open-handed motion to the jungle.

"The world awaits you!" he said dramatically, "Each of you has passed all of your critical tests in the knowledge and practice of Pokemon training. Though, some had it _easier_ than others..."

He trailed off, and Evelyn felt her face getting hotter az a small feel of resentment fell on the group; a feeling she knew fell on her. She remembered them being very jealous of her when they were younger; the fact that she had a Pokemon partner already was a topic of great envy. Some, like Blake, justified their envy by teasing her, saying she wasn't a real trainer because she couldn't catch Draco until she was ten, and he would bet Draco would run away before then. Obviously, he was quite mistaken, and Evelyn turned ten, still in the company of Draco.

It was a pleasant flashback to reflect on. Master Broxton was giving them all a great lecture on catching Pokemon when they were ten, claiming how difficult it really was. He was going to go out with each of them, letting them use one of his Pokemon to catch their first. He passed out one empty Pokeball to each child, then came to the front of the class.

"Evelyn, come to the front, please, and bring the Pokeball I just gave you." he had instructed. Evelyn did as she was told, holding the Pokeball in her hand.

"Now press the button in the center there." She did, and the ball expanded. "There, now. You can only catch or release Pokemon when the Pokeball is in an unlocked position, such as this. The smaller is more portable and also locks the Pokemon inside. Some Pokemon, if they have the willpower, can break out of an unlocked Pokeball. Once captured, however, the ball has a genetic memory, and knows the Pokemon to which it houses. So, when needed, a Pokemon can be called back quite easily. Now please place the ball on the table, Evelyn."

Evelyn did so, placing it on the table at the front off the classroom, which was covered in various diagrams and books and rubble in organized chaos. She then looked to Master Broxton, and could practically smell a lecture coming on. He took a deep breath and crossed his arms and Evelyn automatically began to tune out; yep, lecture in front of the class.

"Now I bet you think Pokemon catching is easy, just because you have one close to you. Well let me tell you something, my dear; it most certainly is not! It can be very dangerous, even life-threatening-"

The students were all listening to this stern discussion, at first, until Draco stirred from his slumber on Evelyn's desk, sitting up to rub his eyes and then squint at Master Broxton. He puffed up suddenly, taking on an almost insulted look. Master Broxton and Evelyn took no notice, but the other children watched as Draco scooted to the edge of the desk, tried to gently lower himself down (suceeding in a sore butt), then recovered and made his way to the front, little feet patting along the tile floor.

Neither Master Broxton nor Evelyn took any notice of him, until he hoisted himself up a nearby chair, kicking his little legs to help, and again onto the table, where he stumbled through the mess and up to the Pokeball. Master Broxton had stopped mid-sentence when he caught sight of the little beast on his desk, and could only watch over Evelyn's shoulder. She too turned to see what her teacher had stopped ranting for. Draco, with a serious expression on his face, sat himself down on a book with a _thump_, reached next to him, and poked the button in the center of the Pokeball. It popped open and swallowed him up in red light before snapping shut, rocking a bit, and settling.

One could hear the proverbial pin drop as everyone just looked at the Pokeball, then over to Master Broxton, who not but five minutes ago had claimed that Pokemon catching was "life-threatening". He crossed his arms, giving her a stern look, and Evelyn, not at all sure what to say at this moment, settle with throwing her hands in the air dramatically and shouting, "Ta-da!"

Ah, yes, Evelyn thought with a smile, good times. Today would be different, though. Now she was the one behind. The other children used Master Broxton's Pokemon to catch their first partners; Evelyn had never actually caught anything in her life, other than the occasional cold.

"Today is your final test. If you pass, the world is your Cloyster, and it's yours for the taking. Again, not literally, Ms. Yew," said Master Broxton, throwing Evelyn a small sneer, which she returned with more of a sarcastic smile; bitter old coot. "Today, you must go out and catch your own Pokemon. I won't be there to help you this time; it's all on you. We'll be celebrating for those who graduate later this evening, so be back before supper, please, and good luck!"

The others made off in such a rush, you'd have thought it was nearing dinner time, instead of being just after breakfast. Evelyn looked down at Draco, the beautiful black and red Charmander in her arms; his brilliant blue eyes and tail fire were enough for her; even his faults, like the thin, silvery scar that ran from his left eye to his collarbone was perfect to her. Why get another Pokemon? These thoughts invaded her as she set him down and they made their way into the undergrowth. Evelyn wasn't a Pokemon activist; she was far too lazy to be that. However, she did feel...uneasy about catching Pokemon.

It somehow felt a little wrong. Oh, it wasn't the "the poor thing and all its friends and family in the wild" blah-blah-nonsense she was caught up in. She felt uneasy because she felt the need to make them family, since that what they were suppose to be. She, unlike her classmates, saw the real value in what they called "nicknames" and she called "names". Evelyn couldn't stand the thought of catching a creature she barely knew and just handing it a name without really knowing its nature, who it was, what it liked, and how it felt. It would be a mistake to have a freshly caught Poochyena with a nasty temper who loves to tear the heads off dolls and blindly name it "Sweety". Similarly, you can't name a Houndour "Killer" if its favorite things include walks on the beach, cuddling, and Cheer music. Misnomer was an understatement there.

Evelyn sighed, sitting herself on a mossy rock, trying to catch her breath in the thick air of the jungle. She had made it as far as a small wake pool being fed by a trickling waterfall. Draco was looking around, enjoying the scenery, when Evelyn decided to cool down and knelt at the pools edge, putting her hands into the water and pulling them up to place her face in them, groaning in relief at the feel. If she passed, which she hoped she would, Evelyn planned on seeking cooler grounds.

It was while she was about to bring her hands to the water again that Evelyn found herself face to face with something under the surface, wide and blue, and staring at her unblinking. She screamed involuntarily and shot back, scooting away from the pool. The little face surfaced and looked out of the water at her, cocking its head to the side as it grinned widely. It was blue, with what looked like...barbs of something sticking out from either side of its head.

"Okay...okay, what are you...?" whispered Evelyn, more to herself than the creature as she reached over and fumbled through the pockets of her messenger bag to find the Pokedex and pop it open at the little thing.

"Wooper; water Pokemon. It lives in cold water, half burying itself in the mud at the bottom to sleep."

"Yeah, that water's cold..." she muttered absentmindedly. When she looked up from the Pokedex, the little creature was standing directly in front of her, leaning toward her with wide eyes and a vacant expression. Evelyn managed not to scream this time, but did jump a bit. Draco had come running from his scenic adventure and rounded the mossy rock her gear sat on, down on all fours and swishing his tail on high. The little creature looked over at the growling Charmander, but otherwise paid it no heed, and kept staring at Evelyn, who was feeling more and more disturbed by the second. She decided to break the tense atmosphere as best she could.

"Well hello there..." she said.

"Whoopa!" the creature shouted without warning, making both Evelyn and Draco jump, the latter of which nearly sprang at the Pokemon, but stopped and watched as the little guy just ran around in an excited circle, laughing.

"At least he's nice..." muttered Evelyn, trailing off when she realized something. No, the lack of light here must be playing with her head. But as the creature stopped in front of her again, there was no denying the horrifying truth. The thing had no arms! What sick trick of a higher power was this shit? Evelyn just stared, jaw agape. He seemed to expect her to say something again.

"Um...boo?" she guessed, and low and behold, the predictable little stranger shouted another "Woopa!" and padded around the clearing some more. He was doing quite well for such a deformity, until he tripped on his own two feet and fell flat on his face.

"Oh...well congratulation, Issac Newton," she said drying, tentatively reaching forward to push her hand under him and lifting him up so he could continue his running, "you've discovered...grav...ity..."

She'd lost her train of thought, since she was reeled back to a previous, yet recent one. Watching the little Wooper run was more thrilling than ever, since a name was now echoing through her head. Issac Newton...Issac...Evelyn shot up, making the Wooper stop in surprise, and Draco gave her a questioning look. She returned this with a fiery one, and a determined and brazen smile.

"Draco...scratch attack!" she commanded. Draco shot forward, catching the Wooper across the face. It squealed in shock and tumbled over. It recovered well on its own, and as soon as it did, it ran bee-line for the pool.

"Don't let him in there!" said Evelyn, and Draco cut him off. Blocked now by the black Charmander on one side, and five foot human on the other, the Wooper didn't seem so whimsical anymore. He hunkered down, frowning, before taking a deep breath.

"Uh, oh," said Evelyn, "Draco, dodge and scratch, bob and weave if you must!"

The Wooper shot a stream of water at the Charmander, who darted out of the way not once, but twice before his claws made their second contact, sending the Wooper back again. This time, the little beast was on his back and struggling. Draco, merciless was he, jumped onto it and began scratching more before being shot off by water. Draco landed with a thud a few feet away, but shook his head and stood back up. The Wooper, on the other hand, flopped onto his stomach and valiantly made an effort to lift himself, but scratch up as he was, it was no surprise when he fell back down. Evelyn dug into her bag and grabbed a Pokeball, unlocked it, and threw it at the Wooper. It bounced off him, opened, and swallowed him up. One rock, two...a third, and the ball was motionless.

Evelyn was still for a moment, and so was Draco until he plopped down on the ground, leaning back on his hands. Evelyn looked at him, and he looked from the Pokeball to her, and they simultaneously smiled. He skittered up to her and jumped in for a hug before they scooped up the new Wooper, Issac, and headed for home.

"We did!" shouted Evelyn to the group of adults setting up tables outside the school. The adults looked up, and Professor Yew among them smiled, hands on his hips.

"Well I'll be damned," he said when she came up to them, "the second one back!"

"Second, really?" Evelyn asked; she had expected to be last. It felt like she was out there for much longer than the three hours she was. Her grandfather pointed over to Claire, who was setting up food with her mother, her Vulpix playing with its new friend, a Torchic.

"And what have you, my little wanderer?" inquired her grandfather. Remembering, Evelyn reached into her bag, unlocked the ball, and released Issac the Wooper, who stood and stared up at Professor Yew, unblinking.

"Well hello there," her grandfather echoed her words from earlier.

"Woopa!" shouted Issac, before sprinting off toward the Vulpix and Torchic, eager for playmates more his size and temperament, though probably higher in intelligence and grace.

"Fanciful little thing, isn't he?" mused her grandfather as Evelyn and Draco helped set up the table. Evelyn would pass the Charmander a bowl or tray, he'd run down the table and place it, returning for the next dish.

"A little unorthodox..." she admitted, watching Issac trip for about the fifth time in the last ten minutes.

"What did you name him?" her grandfather asked; he knew his granddaughter well enough to know that she'd name it. She smiled up at him.

"Issac Newton; Issac for short-" she managed, almost with a straight face. Her grandfather snorted with laughter, shaking his head. He then became uncharacteristically somber, and Evelyn felt her smile vanish.

"Gran?" she asked. He gave a great sigh, and smiled a smile she used to give him.

"You'll be leaving in the morning..." he said, folding napkins now. Evelyn frowned, and Draco stopped dead on his way back for a plate, looking at Professor Yew with sheer horror. "You're going with her, you idiot!"

"Woah, Gran!" Evelyn scolded, "Be nice. Why would I leave so soon? I wasn't even planning on-"

"You have to. I'll tell you more after the dinner, your classmates are back..."

And so they were, each with new Pokemon and wide, proud smiles. The dinner was wonderful, but Evelyn couldn't shake the foreboding in her grandfather's voice, and Draco couldn't either. The old man had never spoken to him like that before; he was upset by something else, Draco just knew it...

The party dwindled down and Evelyn eventually said her good-nights and headed for home. Her grandfather had left the party before it began, and she was almost jogging home, anxiety speeding her progress. Draco was even keeping up with her and not complaining. Issac...well he was in Evelyn's arms, fast asleep, but if he were conscious, he'd be relatively unaffected by anything.

Draco watched his friend put their new teammate, Issac, on the couch, then head for the Professor's study where the only light in the house was on. The professor was sitting at his desk, somberly looking over old photos from a tin. Evelyn, trying to be polite, knocked on the door post to alert him. He looked up to her, smiled, and motioned for them both to sit on the floor.

"Here...here," he said, handing an envelope to Evelyn, who opened it to peek inside. Ship tickets? She looked up to him, passing Draco the tickets, who read them as well. You can hardly grow up with a human so closely and not read; he was mute, not illiterate.

"Gran, why did you get me these? Do you want me to leave?" she asked, taken aback. He shook his head, reaching back for the old tin box. It was filled with pictures and diagrams and bits of parchment with nonsensical phrases like "the onyx bleeds" and "they know them, they know where" and other such things.

"What is all this junk?" she asked.

"Not junk; it belonged to your mother, Evangeline," he said, and Evelyn felt a little clammy all of a sudden. She reached in, picking up a photo. It was torn, but there was one woman standing in a lab coat, smiling at the camera. She had wavy black hair, fair skin, purple eyes...

"She left me very specific instructions. She's left something for you; what, I don't know," he said quickly, before Evelyn could ask what. "But I know this; she first wants you to go to Lilycove, and talk to a woman called Mona. She's said to be very wise, and have a lot more to tell you than I could. Now, listen to me, because this is very important. Your mother's life was in danger the moment she began her research, and what she researched wasn't what it seemed, not even to her. There's an underlying force here that's bigger than you or me, and I do not feel comfortable sending you out there, but I know the urgency of this task, and you do not.

"Know this; some search for knowledge to seek a better understanding to see the world for what it is. Others want knowledge to seek a world where others see what they want. All knowledge is subjective; history the most among them. All history is the opinion of the teller, no matter what. Try not to judge by what you may come to hear; the history isn't over, because you're getting on that ship soon, and you're a part of it."

"But the tickets-" Evelyn began.

"Are to be explained by the story's next teller. I only know the orders I am given. If you feel angry, confused, or need help, your Pokegear has a phone function, so don't be a stranger and call your old man from time to time, will you?"

Evelyn didn't know what to say; it felt like being abandoned. He wanted her to leave? Or her mother wanted her to leave? Was it really leaving, or was it arriving somewhere else that was important? In the end, Draco tugged at her hand, she said good night to her grandfather, and allowed the little black Charmander, her best friend, to drag her to bed, where both slept an uneasy sleep of wanderers in the darkness of unsung events and unbeaten roads.

* * *

**Chapter End Notes:**

_Alright. Two down, a good few more to go…_

_

Next Chapter:** The Sorceress and Sea**

Magic comes in many shapes and sizes, but do old ladies count? They do if the secrets they keep are magical tales of their own; perhaps less magical, and more malevolent. First thing's first...how to get there...


	3. The Sorceress and the Sea

Evelyn and Draco leave home for the first time. Run into old enemies, find bravery in the smallest of friends, and hear the unknown truth from the mouth of a sorceress.

* * *

Chapter 3

**The Sorceress and the Sea**

* * *

The sun was barely even up, just kissing the sky with pinks and purples over the canopies of Fortree city. Evelyn was fully dress, as she had been for the last few sleepless hours, and found herself far over her tree-based home, sitting on a wooden platform built into the tree high up to see over the treetops. She pulled one knee to rest under her chin, the other dangling over the edge of her little sanctuary. She'd always found peace up here, and as the stars above began to fade behind the screen of blue, she took in the serenity of it all. Silent, save the rustling of leaves when a gust of wind flew by and the early sounds of Tailow and Pidgey and various other morning birds waking to greet the day right along side of her. Evelyn glanced to her side, smiling at Draco, who always piggy-backed up here with her. He was curled up next to her, fast asleep.

"At least someone got some rest…" muttered Evelyn as she brought one hand thoughtfully to the tin box resting on her relaxed thigh. She had been trying to piece together the stupid papers inside, but to no avail. It was thick paper, thicker than construction paper; something more like poster board paper. They were also cut with shapes like gagged sides, or waves, or dips and bumps that reminded Evelyn of puzzles. Maybe that's what they were, but none of them fit together, much less in any kind of logical way. Other than that, she'd spent the early morning looking at the various pictures inside. Besides the mysterious one of her mother at work, ripped and incomplete, there were many of her mother pregnant with her, holding Evelyn after the delivery, feeding her, smiling at the camera for no special reason other than true maternal bliss.

"Then why?" wondered Evelyn, "If there was a just and loyal higher power, why would he take her from me?"

A gentle rapping on wood brought her attention to the ladder-like steps built in the tree. Her grandfather had climbed up and was standing on one of the steps, leaning against the platform with a half-hearted smile on his face. Draco stirred, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"Hey…time to go," said Professor Yew. Evelyn nodded and reached behind her for her bag, pushing her mother's tin box into it before hoisting Draco onto her back and heading down the ladder after her grandfather. Breakfast was fairly silent, apart from the occasional question:

"Will you be alright by yourself?" "I'm a grown man; I think I'll manage, Evelyn…"..."Did you fill the pouch on your belt with the Pokeballs I left on your pillow?" "Yes, sir…Oh, and Issac is in his ball in the pouch behind that one."..."Pass the syrup." "Gran, your waffles are drowning already; besides, Draco's using it, aren't you Drake?" "Mmm…"

Evelyn smiled. She loved conversations with Draco. True, they weren't really all that eventful, seeing as how he was mute, but he could still make odd growls and roars, and her personal favorites, mumbles and mutters. Her grandfather was completely lost in this department, as were most people and Pokemon, but Evelyn felt like she understood him most of the time, or at least his general intent or grievance. With breakfast finished, bags packed and nerves thoroughly worked up, Evelyn walked with her grandfather, Draco on her shoulder, to the edge of town, far along the path she knew so well. They came to a halt and Professor Yew turned to his granddaughter.

"This is it…" he sighed, "Are you sure you're ready? I promise you; there's more ahead that you must learn on your own."

"No, Gran; I think I'm ready for this…" Evelyn replied. Professor Yew nodded.

"And you'll be sure to call?"

"Yes, Gran; I'll call…once I figure out how to use this thing…"

Evelyn looked at her Pokegear, the wrist-based contraption on her arm. It was something like a game system, almost. A double screen that flipped open vertically, a small sound frequency display next to the lower screen, and various buttons of who knows what consequence. On the right side of it, still hidden in its slot, was a pull out, flexible antenna of sorts, and opposite to that was a small metal circle that Evelyn discovered was a stylus of some kind. If one pushed on the circle, it went down, clicked, and pushed out further than before, allowing one to grab it and take it out. It was a collapsible stylus, like some small, thin telescope; damn handy, she thought. All of this was mounted on a wide wrist band that was more like an arm brace, really. It was somewhat uncomfortable, a little itchy, but at least it was her color; purple.

"You'll be fine. Call me when you reach Mona's and you've talked with her, alright?" said Professor Yew.

"Okay…" said Evelyn, sounding soft and anxious. Professor Yew smiled at his granddaughter, reached forward, and patted her on the head gently; quite a bit different from when she was younger since she was now only a head and a half shorter than him. She returned his smile before turning and heading down the road, waving at him as she went until he disappeared from her sight.

Draco sat on his best friend's bag, leaning on her hip and waist, shielded from the morning sun by her arm as she rested her hand on the bag. Every so often though, she'd reach up and fiddle with the contraption on her right wrist. They were barely an hour away from Fortree now, and he'd never seen Evelyn look so nervous. She was muttering under her breath, and he caught her words every so often.

"No-no; it's back a window, isn't it?" "Maybe if I push this but- Oh, what the hell?" "Damn it, I think I turned it off…"

With a roll of his eyes Draco stood up carefully on her bag, leaning on her side for support. He reached up and tugged on her shirt. Evelyn stopped walking and looked down at him. He frowned at her and pointed at the Pokegear on her wrist, cocking his head to the side in inquiry. Not being able to speak in any language didn't stop him from getting the point across.

"Oh, what am I doing with this?" she guessed, and he nodded his head. He still wondered why she bothered guessing; she was usually right. "Oh, I'm trying to find the stupid map on this thing…I wish I had a manual…"

Draco groaned. Was that all? He loved her, he truly did, but sometimes she was so distracted, she forgot the basics, which was why he had packed extra things in her bag. Hell, she'd often forget to eat if he didn't bring her food and thrust it under her nose. He leaned over the bag, grasping her shirt for leverage. She'd gone back to fiddling with the Pokegear, now with the stylus out and tapping on the screen. He unclipped the bag and reached in, pulling out a small, human-hand sized book. He walked toward the front of the bag, grabbing the strap for support and waved the book frantically in front of her.

"Hm? What is it D- Oh! A manual," she exclaimed before closing the flip screen of the Pokegear and putting the stylus up. Draco rolled his eyes but was suddenly swooped up in her hands and her lips went straight to his cheek. He cringed at first, that masculine pride trying to deny the sensation, but smiled and let her kiss his cheek. She proceeded to sit down at a boulder near the trees at the side of the road, letting Draco sit in her lap. She put her arms in front of him, the left hand getting the stylus again and the right with the Pokegear. She left the messenger bag on the ground at the side of the boulder.

"Alright, let's do this. Open it up, Drake," she said, and Draco opened the manual, flipping to the contents and from there to the map directions. It didn't take long to find the map with the manual. The bottom screen showed their location on a map, and Evelyn found Lilycove too.

"Not too far away…" mused Evelyn, sighing. "We won't be there by lunch, though, that's for sure."

Draco groaned and looked up at her and Evelyn chuckled.

"Gran packed sandwiches," said Evelyn, turning toward the bag, "so let's just eat no-"

Evelyn stopped mid sentence, hand stretched toward her bag. Draco, who'd been cruising through the manual, took notice and followed her line of sight, jaw dropping like hers. There, standing at their open bag, was a Shroomish in front of a pile of little plastic bags, munching away at what would have been their lunch.

"What the hell?!" shouted Evelyn, and Draco jumped down from her lap, toward the little Pokemon, who jumped back and growled at them. Evelyn dove for the bag and pulled out the Pokedex, flipping it open.

"Shroomish. Grass Pokemon. It sprouts poison spores from the top of its head. These spores cause pain all over if inhaled."

"Ho, shit…" muttered Evelyn, "Draco, back off!"

Draco ignored Evelyn for once, fully intent on showing this invader what happens to thieves. They growled at one another, and Evelyn looked on anxiously. She was almost going to step forward and seize Draco, when a rustling caught all their attentions toward a shaking bit of shrubbery in the jungle.

"Where'd that stupid little shoom-wazzit go?" came a hissing, sneaky voice Evelyn knew too well, and she groaned inwardly when Blake stepped out of the wilderness, looked around a moment, and spotted the tense group. His eyes came to rest on the Shroomish.

"Ah-ha!" he shouted, making all of them except the Shroomish jump. Blake pulled out a Pokeball and expanded it. "Now I've got ya!"

"Woah-woah! He your friend, Blake?" asked Evelyn, taking a step forward, but retreated immediately when the Shroomish rustled his body threateningly and she remembered that bit about spores.

"What? No! This little punk poisoned my Ekans!" roared Blake.

"Well…did you attack him?" asked Evelyn.

"I wanted to catch him, so…duh, yeah," mocked Blake. He tossed the Pokeball and it revealed a female Nidoran. Draco riled up, not enjoying another Pokemon on the field trying to attack his opponent, his sandwich thief.

"Nidoran, tackle attack!"

The blue Pokemon dashed forward toward the Shroomish, who spread his feet apart and stood his ground. When the Nidoran was close, he shook violently without warning, sending green dust into the air.

"Draco, get back!" shouted Evelyn. Draco jumped back as the Shroomish and the Nidoran disappeared behind the blanket of dust. Draco had barely touched ground when the Shroomish came rushing out of the dust and tackled him. Draco was slammed back a few paces, but recovered. The Shroomish was still holding his ground, and Draco looked back his friend; she had the same shocked expression he would bet was on his face as well. This Shroomish was nothing short of ballsy.

"Brave little beasty…" muttered Evelyn. "Bet I know what'll send him running for his own good; Draco, ember!"

Draco inhaled sharply and exhaled fully, a small bit of fire following, the Shroomish jumped to side a few times to avoid the flame, succeeding twice and failing once, but when Draco ceased his attack, the Shroomish still stood his ground.

"Wow…against fire," whispered Evelyn. She had hopped he'd run like Issac tried to. "Regular Richard the Lionhearted, isn't he....?"

"Nidoran, tackle!"

The Shroomish looked back, and the Nidoran came leaping from the dust to tackle him. He stepped to the side and she crashed, making feeble attempts to get up. Her face looked feverish, and she seemed weak.

"Blake, I think your Nidoran is poisoned…" said Evelyn. Blake cut her a nasty look.

"She'll be fine," snapped Blake, and Evelyn looked flabbergasted. How can he say that? She needed help and he wasn't giving it to her? The thought of this brave Shroomish being in the hands of Blake-the-Neglectful made her stomach churn.

"Nidoran, tackle!" Blake shouted. The Nidoran made an attempt to stand, but her legs gave way. Draco watched, feeling sorry for her. He looked to the source of the poison, to the Shroomish, to see that the grass Pokemon had its back to him. An idea formed and Draco acted reflexively. He shot a stream of fire at the Shroomish, and without the aid of hearing Evelyn's commands as a forewarning, he received a direct hit and collapsed only a few yards from Blake and Evelyn. He struggled to get up over and over, not letting his weak body stop him from trying.

"Yes!" gasped Blake, reaching back and expanding and empty Pokeball. He threw the ball and the Shroomish was taken in. Blake looked quite pleased as the ball rocked gently, but his smile vanished when the Shroomish burst out of it, looking more tired than ever. He cursed softly and began to reach back for another Pokeball. Evelyn reacted and shot her hand back, doing the same, and whirled her Pokeball at the Shroomish. It hit him, bounced off, and swallowed him up.

"No!" shouted Blake, looking like he might murder Evelyn, but she wasn't paying attention. She was watching the Pokeball as it twitched back and forth several times before resting.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" shouted Blake, advancing toward Evelyn. Draco felt heat flood his face and he jumped forward, shooting flames on the ground in front of Blake, who staggered back.

"I told you I wanted to catch him!" growled Blake. Evelyn, recovering from the initial shock of it, straightened up.

"Who said _I_ didn't want to catch him?" she asked before strutting forward with confidence and picking up the Pokeball. Blake returned his Nidoran to her Pokeball and began to walk down the path more. He stopped at her side, mere inches from her. Draco had come to her side, and glared up at the male teen, daring him to try something, anything, and give him a reason to burn him to the core.

"You will regret this, I promise you," he hissed, then rushed off. Draco looked to his friend. She was staring off after Blake, but with the gaze of one who was thinking, not seeing. He gave her a quick but gentle swat to the leg, and she jumped to attention.

"Hm?" he mumbled to her. She looked at the Pokeball in her hands, turning it in her fingers, and sighed.

"We should go. We need to get to Lilycove before nightfall. That and we need to get Richard some medical attention…" replied Evelyn. She watched as a funny look came over Draco's features; one of contemplation.

"I named him Richard, on account of his bravery," she explained as she made her way to the boulder again, picking up the bag. Draco looked up at her, recalling the same story she had thought of, and raised his hand to pat it on his chest.

"Yeah, yeah- heart. Richard the Lionhearted, right. I think it fits, but we'll have to ask him. When he's better, I mean," sighed Evelyn as she reached her hand down, taking Draco's and helping to hoist him up onto the top of the bag once more.

"Damn; finally!" gasped Evelyn, doubling over to catch her breath. The lights of Lilycove had come into view a while back, shining against the setting sun, and now they were finally at the entrance to the city. She immediately made for the Pokemon Center and healed her Pokemon. The Shroomish was as gutsy as ever, but after a good talking to and some 'convincing' by Draco and Issac (resulting in another visit to Nurse Joy), he calmed down and accepted his new name of Richard the Lionhearted.

"Excuse me," said Evelyn over the counter in the Center. Nurse joy turned to her. "I'm sorry, but do you know anyone by the name of 'Mona'?"

"Mona? Oh, yes; the gypsy. She lives in the cottage by the lighthouse," answered Nurse Joy. Evelyn thanked her and made her way out. As she climbed the steep hills bordering the ocean of Lilycove, a cozy little home came into view; something warm and inviting against the blazing sky. Draco stood on the bag at her side as Evelyn approached the door, fiddling with her armband. The shiny Charmander rolled his eyes and reached forward, knocking on the door himself. She was so damn bashful at times…

"Just a moment, just a moment!"

There was a brief sound of footsteps on wood behind the door before it opened. There stood an elderly woman, shorter than Evelyn and wider too. She had dry grey hair wrapped in a tight bun, and she wore a mahogany-colored long-skirt and a white blouse with a multi-colored, flowery shawl over it.

"Good evening," said Evelyn, trying to be polite and make up for the fact that she had knocked on an elderly woman's front door so late in the evening. "By chance, are you 'Mona'?"

The woman blinked up at Evelyn before reaching down for a pair of eyeglasses that hung from pearls on her neck. When she placed them on her face and looked at Evelyn again, she took a huge intake of breath, one hand shooting to her heart and the other grabbing the door frame for support. Evelyn stepped forward to aid the old woman.

"Are you alright, Ma'am?" she asked when the old woman waved her help off and recovered on her own. When she did, she wore a brilliant, denture-filled grin. Evelyn felt a little uneasy at the way she was looking at her.

"Come in, my dear; hurry, hurry! Oh, I've waited for you for so long…" she cooed, and Evelyn was ushered in, stuttering at her host words of gratitude and half-questions. The woman hushed her questions and led her into the homely cottage, past the living room and into the small kitchen, forcing her into a seat at the table. Draco was jolted from his position on Evelyn's bag, but climbed up onto his friend's lap as quickly as possible. Mona chuckled and patted him on the head before busying herself with making plates of food from whatever she had, humming happily.

"Um…I take that you are Mona then, right?" inquired Evelyn.

"Oh-ho! Yes, yes; are you hungry, dear? You simply must be. Here, here, eat." insisted Mona, moving with a good bit of speed for such an elderly woman. She gave Evelyn a plate of food, Draco a smaller one, and busied herself with making tea.

"Thank you," said Evelyn, placing her bag on the seat next to her, then Draco on top of the bag so that he might eat at the table. The kitchen was well-lived; jars of preserves on shelves, plates behind glass cases, dried herbs and spices hanging in front of the window over the sink. It felt warm and safe and smelled like the world.

"Oh-oh!" cooed Mona, unable to contain her joy, "It's simply wonderful to see you my dear, even if it is only a trick of the eyes. You look exactly like your mother; as well you should, really."

"You knew my mother well?" asked Evelyn after swallowing a bit of roast beef.

"Oh my, yes. I was with a traveling caravan of fellow magicians when I met your mother, way back in Goldenrod, Johto," said Mona as she placed tea in front of Draco and Evelyn, the latter of which was trying to catch up to what the old woman had said.

"I-I beg your pardon?" she asked. Mona sat across the little round table, nursing a cup of tea herself. She placed the tea on the table and rested her head on her hand, just looking at Evelyn with a smile.

"I was once a magician of sorts; a 'sorceress', as my fellows put it. Long, long ago, as you can imagine. I only knew your mother for a short while, but her radical ideals were dumbfounding, my sweet. This was before I knew of the towers, of course," said Mona. Evelyn and Draco were both staring at her blankly. She laughed from her belly, hazy brown eyes sparkling.

"I should start at the beginning, shouldn't I?" she asked, and both Evelyn and Draco nodded. "Alright then, I'll tell you what I know-"

"I was what so many called a 'gypsy'. I traveled with other people who believed in living with Pokemon in peace and not use them or forcing them to fight. By the skeptical look on your face, you're thinking what many thought; we were those 'damn hippies'. We knew street magic simply to earn money or food. I later learned a...sort of real magic. That's neither here nor there. We were called hippies many times. I suppose that we were, but all the same, we were generally shunned by people who used Pokemon daily for all sorts of labor. I had traveled to many places, but the worst were cities. Goldenrod was one that shunned us as well, but I hadn't expected to be attacked. A nasty woman by the name of Invida sought to 'teach us a lesson' and had her Pokemon attack us."

"That's terrible!" gasped Evelyn. Draco grunted in reply. Mona nodded, but continued.

"Yes, but that's when I met your mother. She came in to defend us, starting quite the shouting match with Invida. Evangeline was quite the girl, and a good few years younger than I. The funny thing is, your mother never owned a Pokemon. Never caught one. She sustained a few injuries during the street brawl, but this brought the attention of locals, who pitched in. By the end, Invida sauntered off, defeated, and I took your mother for medical care. She and I became good friends, and she was very interested in our group. Her ideas, however, were even bigger than ours! In her mind, Pokemon and people were only different by body, and they should be treated as if they were humans."

Evelyn took the moment to reflect on how like her mother she was, both in looks and mind, and felt more regretful than ever that she couldn't even remember her mother's voice. Draco gave her a sidelong glance, feeling the unease. He reached for some salt, brushing his hand with hers as hers was resting on her cup of tea. She gave him a smile of gratitude and continued to listen to Mona.

"We traveled together for a while and I had the pleasure of both teaching her and learning from her. It was one day in the ocean outside Slateport while we were surfing that the story really began. A storm swooped in so suddenly that we hadn't any time to prepare, and we were swept out. We were tossed and turned but…saved by something. I couldn't tell you what it was even if I wanted to. I remember it was big, and white, but wide like…like wings or a bird. Oh, and its song, dear; I wish you could hear it."

She was beginning to zone out in a way, staring off in sentimental bliss. After allowing her to enjoy the moment, Draco cleared his throat and Evelyn spoke "How did you survive?"

"Oh! Well, we washed ashore on the beach of an island we later learned is uncharted, secret. Upon it was a massive tower made of almost solid white marble. We were offered help from the monks there. It was a tower of men and women who were dedicated to learning the secrets and feel the immense gratitude toward Legendary Pokemon. They had statues and runes everywhere for worship, and they were so peaceful. I felt at home there, and so did your mother. It was there we learned of a secret organization known as the Towers of Knowledge. It was a group of four towers, each dedicated to the search of specific knowledge. The Marble Tower studied Legendary Pokemon, the Onyx Tower studied health of both humans and Pokemon, and how to better said health. Granite Tower was dedicated to the research of each species population and genetics, and was the only organization to keep a sort of census on species population. Finally, there was Opal Tower. Its members studied the differences between humans and Pokemon, and where the line is truly drawn. Physically, mentally, and spiritually. They had almost made a break in the language barrier!"

Evelyn found herself enchanted by the tale, leaning in to listen more. How did no one know of this? This was amazing! Mona, however, had a sad smile.

"What's wrong, Ms. Mona?" she asked.

"I just recall it so vividly. The last day I saw your mother. I always knew she was brilliant, but when a member of Opal Tower came to visit the head priest of Marble Tower and offered her a job, I knew she was destined for something special. It's just such a shame that it all went so wrong. I don't know who, I don't know when, but there was an inner group within the Towers of Knowledge who worked together to steal precious research for their own goal. What they planned, I don't know, but I do know this; the Towers still _stand_, but they _fell_ long ago. The group became powerful and took over three of the towers. As far as I know, Marble Tower has not given in, but again, I cannot be sure, dear. That is all I know."

Evelyn leaned back in her chair, staring down at the cylindrical cup of tea in her hands and tossed this new, fantastic tale in her mind. Such a wonderful idea; the collection of knowledge for the greater good of Pokemon and humans alike. Draco was staring at his food next to her, thinking along the same lines. He was feeling bitter toward humans, at least those responsible. How much could have been accomplished if the Towers hadn't been taken over?

"I see you two have quite a bit to think about…" said Mona, getting up and taking their dishes before shuffling to the sink. Evelyn rose from her chair, picking up Draco and her bag. She stood in spot, mind still racing, and she shifted her weight between feet as she looked around the room for some sign of what to do next. The light outside was gone, and only the occasional beam of light from the lighthouse illuminated over the sea.

"Come, come. I'll show you to your room. I never had the pleasure of seeing your mother again, but I did meet your grandfather, and he had messages and gifts from your mother…" said Mona, taking Evelyn by the hand and leading down a hallway to a small room at the end. She patted her on the shoulder and gave her a wrinkled smile. "Sleep now; you have a lot to take in, I know. Tomorrow, though, we go and get what your mother left you. Tomorrow, we go to Mt. Pyre…"

* * *

**Chapter End Notes:**

_I have character art in my Deviantart if anyone is interested. The link is in my profile._

__  
_

Next Chapter:** The Phantom Chest**

Mt. Pyre, home of the dead. Old friends, new friends, a twisted path, and a treasure that is not what it appears. It is the first door to many keys.  
_


	4. The Phantom Chest

Mt. Pyre; a place of nightmares for some, and a place of peace for others. For our couple, it is a place of mystery as they receive several new gifts and a new destination.

* * *

Chapter 4

**The Phantom Chest**

* * *

"Grr…ra!"

"Shroom!"

"I'm guessing they don't fancy one another much. What do you think?"

"Woop…pa…"

Evelyn sat on the lighthouse steps on the grassy cliff overlooking the Lilycove's beachfront. Before her and Issac the Wooper was a scene of imminent chaos. Draco and Richard were face to face, ready to throw punches and fire and spores at one another. For Richard the Shroomish, it was a battle based on honor and bravery; proof that he would stand against a foe even when they had the advantage. For Draco…it was a battle about a stolen sandwich.

"Drake, love," said Evelyn, gaining his attention, "Let it go; we have things to do today."

Draco glared over to her through his scared eyed, still tense. Shroomish relaxed, even though he wasn't the one commanded to do so. Evelyn looked to the little cottage down the hill, where she knew Mona was preparing to take her to Mt. Pyre. She looked back to Draco and rose to her feet, making her way to him where she knelt down beside him.

"Please, Draco?" she pleaded; giving him the face she knew would make him do whatever she wanted. She wasn't manipulative, per say, but she knew he had a hard time saying 'no' to her because she had a hard time saying 'no' to him as well. Draco relaxed, but still looked frustrated. He turned to her, glaring at the ground between her knees instead of her eyes, and raised his arms up, flexing his fingers in a demanding way. Evelyn laughed softly and picked him up like one would a toddler, his arms going around her neck.

"That wasn't so hard, now was i-"

"Evelyn! Time to get a move on; put your Pokemon away!" shouted Mona from down the hill. Evelyn did as she was told, returning Issac and Richard to their respective balls.

"So what exactly are we going for?" she asked as she jogged down the hill toward the old woman.

"I dunno- I said put your Pokemon away, dear," Mona said sternly, pointing at Draco, who turned his head and gave a harsh look at Mona.

"He's my friend, not my Pokemon," clarified Evelyn.

"Yes but he is _a_ Pokemon," said Mona. Evelyn could feel her face growing warm.

"Yes, and he loves waffles and Guava juice, hates the color orange, and is a little afraid of thunderstorms. I'd like to play 'state the obvious' with you Miss Mona, but I have a dead mother to learn about," Evelyn said harshly. Draco gave her a surprised look. He'd always known that the topic of their friendship was a sore spot for her, but he wouldn't have thought she'd snap on a new acquaintance like that. She'd certainly lost her temper with schoolmates and townsfolk who actually complemented on 'how tame her Pokemon was'. Evelyn had told him that it was insulting; she'd never tamed Draco, only met him.

"I…I'm sorry dear," said Mona, sheepishly. Evelyn sighed, feeling that bit of shame wash over her; Mona didn't really know her well enough to know how much she disliked it when someone referred to Draco as though he were some kind of pet.

"I'm really sorry, Miss Mona…It's just…I can't stand it when people talk about Draco like he was a cat or a dog," said Evelyn, giving her a genuine look of regret. Mona gave her a soft smile and waved a wrinkled hand dismissively.

"To be honest, dear, I'm not too surprised. You mother was similar, just not as fiery I dare say," she said, and then turned to the path that lead to the town, gesturing for Evelyn to follow. "Let's walk and talk, dear; saves more time. Why do you feel this way toward; Draco, was it?"

"Yes ma'am," replied Evelyn, "I suppose it's because Draco is my best friend, more than any human, but people still treat him as though he were less than. They're always telling me to 'put him away' or 'he's well trained' as though he wasn't standing right there. If they thought his manners were notable, why wouldn't they tell him?"

"I suppose…perhaps most people don't view it the way you do, dear. You look at him like a human soul in a different body, I gather. People generally think Pokemon are Pokemon and people are people. On that, most think Pokemon cannot understand," said Mona as they made their way out of Lilycove and onto the main road. Draco snorted; that was Tauros-shit, and he knew it, and so did Evelyn. Draco could read and write, and not because Evelyn taught him. They learned together. He could type on a keyboard; write on paper, and more. Hell, Evelyn had bought him a book on sign language for his last 'birthday' (generally celebrated on August 6th, the day they met in that storm). Now he knew a few signs by heart; only important things that he felt he should know if he and Evelyn were ever separated.

"Draco can't talk in either language," said Evelyn, "but he communicates better than either side, I think."

"Ump…" mumbled Draco, and Evelyn gave him a tight squeeze, knowing that level and tone.

"You're very welcome, Drake; you know I love you," she praised, kissing the top of his head. Mona smiled at the pair as they turned from the road and through some grass before approaching a dock. Evelyn cradled him so carefully and he clung to her neck; each holding the other.

"Woah…" said Evelyn, looking up at the giant mountain before them. It disappeared into the clouds! It sat in the water, an island all to itself, and Evelyn could just barely make out the outline of a landmass on the other side.

"I suppose that's Mt Prye, is it?" guessed Evelyn. Mona looked to the mountain.

"Hm? Oh, that? Yes, dear; that's Mt Pyre. Now, let's see…" she said and began digging through a beaded purse she had at her side, "Ah! There she is…"

She tossed a Pokeball toward the water, revealing a full grown Lapras. It whinnied at them, but looked pleased to see Mona in particular. She swam to the dock and gave the old woman a large lick to the face and Mona chuckled.

"Yes, yes; I love you too, dear. Alright, Evelyn, hop on," said Mona. Evelyn climbed onto the Lapras' back, followed by Mona, and the water Pokemon swam them around the large mountain to the other side of it. Here there was the only flat part of the mountain one could reach from the water, and Lapras pulled up to it. Evelyn got down and onto the grass here, but Mona stayed put.

"Are you coming?" she asked. Mona shook her head.

"No, dear; this is your task. Your gift is at the top; you just have to climb some stairs. There will be a man named Romulus up there and he'll tell you where to go from here. Now go on…"

Draco felt Evelyn stiffen, and he knew why. Evelyn, as absent minded and flustered as she could be, was a girl that craved security. The unsure and unknown were a little scary to her. He tightened his grip on her neck, reminding her that he was with her and she wasn't alone. She gave him a hug back, but then lowered him to sit in his usual spot on her messenger bag before turning toward the door and entering the mountain-turned-temple.

Evelyn had heard of Mt. Pyre; who hadn't? It infiltrated every ghost story ever told in Hoenn. The place hade a chill to it, and there were people here and there, crying and wailing and grieving, and Draco felt a little uncomfortable. He was no good with crying girls; he didn't even know how to handle Evelyn if she cried, and she was his oldest friend! Evelyn made her way in, looking around for the stairs. She spotted them at the eastern wall just in time to see a girl in a white dress with short chestnut hair about to go up. Impulse kicked in when recognition registered.

"Lisa!" she shouted, and the girl turned around. So did several other people as Evelyn's voice echoed through the temple. Evelyn felt her face burn with a blush; it was a rather stupid thing to do, shout in a place full of grieving people, several of whom glared at her. It was Lisa, however, and she was making her way over to Evelyn, who walked forward to meet her halfway.

"Evelyn! Oh, goodness, no! Please tell me you're not here about a dead Pokemon!" she gasped. Evelyn chuckled a bit, but ushered Lisa to walk with her up the stairs.

"No, no; I was going to ask you the same thing," said Evelyn.

"Oh- no! I had questions for the holy men here…"

"Why?"

"Well…I was wondering if there was something wrong with me…" she mused. "It's a silly thing, really…"

"What's wrong?" asked Evelyn. They continued to climb the dark grey stone stairs.

"Well…have you ever found yourself drawn to certain Pokemon?"

Evelyn stopped walking and raised an eyebrow at the same time Draco did. They looked at one another, crossed their arms, and looked back to Lisa, who sighed with impatience.

"No, I mean…drawn to certain _types_," she clarified.

"What, you mean like Claire was to fire types, or Blake was to poison types?"

"Sort of…"

They'd reached the next floor, and the next, and they soon found themselves walking on a flat portion of the mountain outside, a few stories above the water below. There was a path here to follow, grass and gravestones on either side, and the air was beginning to fade with a very light mist.

"Out with it, already!" groaned Evelyn, and Draco grunted to agree.

"I'm drawn to…normal types…" said Lisa, stopping and looking at the stairway before them. It disappeared into the mist and clouds as the mountain grew higher and higher. Draco felt a shiver up his back and stood up on Evelyn's bag, grabbing the strap for support as he looked around. He felt like they weren't the only ones up here. He glared skeptically at a Noctowl statue they passed. Evelyn looked at Lisa.

"Normal? That is pretty unique."

"Unique? Not…not weird?"

"Who said it was weird?"

"Claire…" mumbled Lisa. Draco rolled his eyes and Evelyn clicked her tongue.

"Claire's a bitch; enough said," replied Evelyn, ignoring Lisa's "language, Eve!" as they climbed yet more stairs. "Besides, you like them, so what does it matter?"

"It narrows down my choices, you know? I can't really put a team together without balance, but I feel I can't put my full attention to focus on a type I'm not fond for…What career could I have?"

Evelyn let these words toss around as they continued on their path, disappearing into the thick mist. The steps of the stairway were only visible for three steps forward and back; after that, they faded into white. Small shadowy forms came and went as they passed cemetery markers and tombstones when they walked the straight paths of a flat landing before finding another stairway. Draco was looking back and forth into the mist. The feeling of unease he couldn't explain growing bigger. Maybe it was the mist playing on his mind, but he felt like they were being watched…or followed. He watched as they passed a Noctowl statue; hadn't he seen that before?

"What about Nurse Joy?" asked Evelyn. Lisa frowned at her.

"What about her?"

"Every one I've ever met has normal type Pokemon, for the most part. I don't see how that would stop you. Oh, or a caretaker of some sort. You still care about other types of Pokemon, you just don't want them as your team, right?"

"Yeah…Hey, yeah! That does work!" exclaimed Lisa, stopping in her tracks. Draco took the moment to jump off and walk to the statue. The girls continue to talk behind him as he inspected the statue. It smelled like nothing but cement and the wrath of weather; a regular statue…All the same, he knew he'd seen this, and it was too similar. He started scratching at the Noctowl statue's right wing, leaving gashes in the cement.

"Draco!" came Evelyn's voice, just moments before she grabbed him under his arms and lifted him up. "What the hell's gotten into you?"

"Is he ill? Perhaps the climate up here doesn't agree with him…" suggested Lisa. Evelyn put her hand on his forehead and shook her head.

"He's fine. Calm down, Drake; we're almost there, I'm sure…" she reassured before placing him on the messenger bag again and the girls continued walking, chatting now about silly things. Food, new adventures, and how cute certain boys like Mark were (his least favorite subject to listen to Evelyn talk about; it irked him, and he wasn't sure why.)

"My goodness, this place has a lot of stairs!" gasped Lisa, leaning over and clutching a stitch on her side once they reached another landing. "At least they have nice scenery; good grass, lovely statues, and all that; if you ignored what it's all for. Dismal tidings…"

"Yeah, the architecture is…is…" Evelyn trailed off and Draco looked up to her. She was looking at something on the side of the path, and he followed her gaze to a Noctowl statue. It was a statue with deep gashes on its right wing.

"Eve? Evelyn, what's wrong?" asked Lisa, straightening up. She looked to what Draco and Evelyn were looking at. "Wait…isn't that-?"

"We've been going in circles?" whispered Evelyn, looking down to Draco, who stood and looked all around pointedly. Evelyn got the general message and looked around as well. The mist was thick and blurry outlines of statues and gravestones could be made, but nothing more.

"Good job, Draco, but now how do we- Lisa? Lisa, are you alright?" asked Evelyn. Lisa was no longer looking at the statue, but over Evelyn's head with a petrified expression plastered on her features. Evelyn felt her spine shiver and an inner voice commanding she stay still, but she turned to look anyway. There was a purplish figure floating in the air, about the size and shape of a beach ball; blurry and imperfect. It came into focus though, like rising from water, revealing two angry-looking eyes and a wide mouth that bore a set of fangs. Draco felt like someone had forced him to swallow ice water.

"Ga-Gastly!" it wailed in a haunting, echoing voice, flying toward them without warning. Lisa screamed and bolted for the grass between the tombstones to the right of the path. Evelyn came dashing after her, Draco clutching the messenger bag for dear life. Evelyn twisted and turned through tombstones and jumping over headstones. Lisa was nearing a stairway when the spirit fazed through the mist again, blocking her.

"GASTLY!!" it cried, voice wavering and it shook its body back and forth like one would their head. Lisa shrieked again and dashed to the left. Evelyn followed, running a few rows next to Lisa.

"What the hell is that thing?!" shouted Lisa, who never cursed, not even in the mildest way. Evelyn just shook her head, unable to reply as she focused on running and breathing and not getting caught by that…_thing_!

They ran and ran, the spirit fazing randomly through tombstones and before stairways, spooking them along. They sprinted until they came to a new clearing, one they didn't recognize. It had three ways to go; two stairways leading up, one leading downward. Evelyn stopped and leaned over, hands on her knees. Sprinting around this high up on a mountain was demanding, and the thin air unforgiving.

"Let's go down; I want out of here!" gasped Lisa, heading toward the solo stairway. When Evelyn didn't move, she looked back to her. "Evelyn?!"

"Wait…" she said to Lisa. There was light, very clearly light coming from behind the mist on either stairway, something they'd not encountered on the last several. Draco hopped down and walked between them. He turned to Evelyn and gestured to both with his hands on either side.

"Yeah…left or right?" she asked.

"Are you insane? Let's just go!" said Lisa.

"You can go," said Evelyn, walking back and forth between the stairways, trying to pick. "But I've come here for something, and I'm not leaving without it! Now go, or help me pick before that spirit comes back!"

"Well…I…you…I can't leave you here like this," groaned Lisa, her good nature getting the better of her and not for the first time in her life. "Which hand do you write with?"

"Right…" said Evelyn, frowning at Lisa, who gestured to the right stairway. It was an illogical method for an answer to an illogical question.

"Well, alright…" said Evelyn, walking toward the right staircase. She only made it a few steps up when the blotch, purple spirit fazed out of the steps in front of her, a mere few inches away.

"GAAA!" it shouted, making the hair on the back of Evelyn's neck stand up. She refused to run; she was sick of it. She backed up, her hands up in the air in defensive stance. Draco was growling low, glaring daggers at the spirit.

"We don't want any trouble…" whispered Evelyn, so quiet that for a moment she was worried the spirit hadn't heard her.

"Gaaaa...stly…" it moaned, floating toward her, keeping her retreating until she was back on the path again, standing in front of Lisa, who was quite unashamed about cowering behind Evelyn. The spirit continued its drifting forward, moaning again, but halted when a black Charmander stepped between him and the human girls. Draco snarled at him and stepped forward, the spirit floating back a little. Evelyn felt something digging into her bag, and before she could look, Lisa's shaking hand handed Evelyn her Pokedex over her shoulder.

"What the hell do you want me to do; throw it at him?" snapped Evelyn quietly.

"No…check. I…I think it might be a Pokemon…"

"It's a ghost!"

"Just check!"

"Alright! Damn…"

Evelyn flipped it open and pointed it toward the purple spirit floating before Draco.

"Gastly. Ghost-Poison Pokemon. This Pokemon's body is 95% made up of gases, which are blown away by strong gusts of wind."

"Huh, we're both right; ghost and Pokemon. Good thing it's not windy…" muttered Evelyn, though such a phenomenon would actually benefit them at this moment. The Gastly shouted its name and flew toward Draco, who stood his ground.

"Draco, scratch!" commanded Evelyn, but when he did, he hand flew right through the creature. It turned and licked his whole right side, making him shiver unpleasantly.

"You can't hit him with physical moves!" hissed Lisa. "Use his fire!"

"How do you know this?" hissed Evelyn.

"I told you I like normal types; besides, I battled a Shuppet once with my Toros and got my butt whooped. Now use fire!"

"Draco, ember!"

The Charmander shot a thin stream of fire at the Gastly, who dodged it easily. The same couldn't be said for the second attack, hitting him directly. He flew back a few paces, shook himself, but recovered. It flew toward Draco again, who instinctively threw his claw into the Gastly, which failed again. Evelyn had to admit, she was curious about this ghost-type business. Draco had to admit…this was fucking annoying…

"Grrah!" roared Draco, blasting more fire than ever at the Gastly, hitting him hard enough to shoot him backward, still tangible when he struck a tombstone. He lay still there at the foot of the memorial, out cold. Evelyn reached back into the pouch on her belt, opening an empty Pokeball, tossing it to capture the Gastly. The ball rocked several times before laying still.

"Wow…Wait, why did you catch him? I thought you didn't like catching Pokemon…" said Lisa, coming around from cowering behind Evelyn. Draco walked over to pick up the Pokeball and bring it to her.

"Thanks, Draco," said Evelyn, accepting the ball before turning to Lisa. "I…I don't really know. I'm curious, I suppose. I could always release him…I don't really know about him-"

"Well this is your chance," reasoned Lisa. "To make a new friend, I mean. Albeit, a creepy one."

Evelyn chuckled, putting the new Gastly into her pouch. Draco clapped his hands loudly to get their attention, and the girls turned. He was standing on the third step of the left stairway, waving his arms like someone guiding a plane landing. Lisa frowned but Evelyn asked no questions and instead followed him.

"Why the left?" asked Lisa, right behind them, "Weren't we taking the right?"

"Hey, Draco beat the 'terrifying spirit'," reasoned Evelyn with a hint of mirth, "Besides; he's left handed…"

This stairway was the longest of all, but as they climbed, the mist began to thin around them. Eventually, the stairs ascended above the white mist. Behind them, it was as if they really were on top of the world; like they stood on the beach of an island in a sea of clouds. There was clear blue sky stretching like an ocean above them, but floating and flowing white clouds around.

They came to the top landing, met with a long path flanked by more tombstones, but it lead to a rock formation resembling a shrine. There was a young man sweeping on the path, dressed in black and white monk's clothing. His head was shaved, and he was humming softly to himself. All round, fazing in and out, were odd little creatures that gave Evelyn shivers; though not as much as Gastly had. She pulled out her Pokedex, only for quick reference.

"Shuppet. Duskull. Misdreavus."

The monk stopped sweeping and looked up at the sound of the electronic voice. He tilted his head at them, and the ghost Pokemon near him mimicked the curious pose. He placed the broom against a tombstone and came toward them.

"Hello there! I'm sorry if I seemed surprised; we haven't had any guests in quite some time…My name is Brother Philip." said the monk, bowing gently to each of them. The three travelers bowed back, and he ushered them to walk with him along the path to the shrine.

"Welcome, though! I assume you come to seek the wisdom of Father Romulus?" asked the monk, trying to keep his hands busy, shivering with trembles as they wrung together. "I'm sorry; I'm shaking from excitement, I know. I'm simply amazed you made it up here!"

"Well, it wasn't very fun, I'll tell you," grumbled Evelyn, "Why is it such a puzzle? Why did we feel like we were going in circles for a while? Oh- and the spirit!"

"Spirit?"

"Sorry; we thought it was a spirit. It was a Gastly chasing us."

"Oh; that's exactly what I was so curious about. Our residential ghost Pokemon, with the guidance of Father Romulus, create the illusions and tricks of the mist. It makes sure that those who do not truly need his advice will turn back in frustration, while those that desperately need it will continue forward…the problem is…"

"The Gastly? A bit of a rebel, scaring people like that," scolded Lisa. Draco snorted to agree.

"Somewhat. He isn't actually a residential Pokemon; he just showed up out of the blue. He seems to think everyone should get through the test, and he started to try and guide people through. Well…you can imagine how people reacted to that," clarified the cleric.

"Yes, I can imagine…" mumbled Evelyn. Draco looked back at Lisa, who blushed. "So you mean to tell me…he was trying to help?"

"Oh, yes. Blocks paths, tries to re-route folks, but they just scream and run away. That's why we haven't had a guest in a long time. You're very brave to get past him…" said Brother Philip. They came to the shrine, the rock formations like rough columns all round them. Two shining lights were filtering from above, a blue and a red, but no one else was there.

"Oh…he must have stepped out…" sighed Brother Philip.

"We'll wait, if that's alright," said Evelyn.

"That's perfectly fine," said Brother Philip. "By the by; how did you manage to stick with your gut and get past that Gastly?"

"Erm…" said Evelyn, trailing off. Draco was averting his gaze and scratching the back of his head. "I sort of…Well, I c-"

"Caught it?"

Everyone jumped a little at the new voice, and the group turned around to the path. A bald man, aged and wrinkled, stood before them. His eyes were squinty and he hunched over, his weight on a knobby wooded walking stick. His robes were like Brother Philips, but a very light grey. He walked slowly toward them. He was holding something in one arm, by Evelyn couldn't see what.

"Oh, Father Romulus!" exclaimed Brother Philip, but Father Romulus was not paying him any mind, attention focused on Evelyn.

"I must say, young lady; I'm impressed…To catch Alvaro is quite an accomplishment. Treat him well," said the old man.

"Alvaro?" asked Evelyn. The Father nodded and motioned for them to sit down on the flat rock ground of the shrine.

"It means noble guardian. An ironic name for a creature that terrified many people, but I felt it fitting for a Pokemon who's intentions were pure and he was simply judged too soon," said Father Romulus. "Now, you must be Evelyn and Draco, correct?"

"Yes, sir, but how did you-"

"I have my ways, young lady. Mona was my student many years back, but I still have more secrets up my sleeves than she does. The mist, for instance…how do you think I managed that, hm?"

Evelyn thought about it, and looked to Draco, who was brooding beside her. He glanced to her and shrugged.

"I haven't a clue, Sir." She said honestly. He chuckled.

"Good, then my secrets safe. A little luck, some science, and perhaps…a little magic…" he said with a twinkle in his squinty, beady eyes. Lisa frowned.

"There's no such thing as magic…" she mumbled. Father Romulus gave a jolly laugh.

"Oh-ho, you're right, of course, my dear," he said, and Lisa looked quite proud of herself, but when she wasn't looking, he winked at Evelyn and Draco, both of which smiled.

"Now…to business. I knew your mother for some time, dear, but I knew your grandfather longer," he said, "and it grieved me terribly to learn of what happened to your mother. This, however, did not stop me from taking on the task handed to me. I have here something from your mother."

He pulled the thing out from under his arm, now unshielded by his sleeve. It was a box, or a chest of some kind, only a bit bigger than a shoe box. Evelyn took it into her hands and felt it. It was intricate, heavy, and most definitely a chest. It had brass on most of its body, silver and gold edges and curves where several large areas were carved into. Its lid was not entirely flat; it was carved in at the middle to the same shape as the lid, but smaller in size. Gold leaf filled the little indent, along with raised, black lines. Evelyn ran her fingers over them; they felt like…almost like rubber. In the very center of this gold, carved out shape on the lid was a new indention. It was circular and an odd lime green inside with strange patterns. At its center, it rose up once more, like a little island in a sea. Sitting in the middle of that island was something that resembled the head of a pin, but rounded, and less than an inch long, just long enough to be level with the bronze perimeter of the lid around the engraved gold area.

The front was very similar. It too was carved into. Silver rim, then gold rim, then a silver background, like little steps onto a new floor, still leaving bronze bordering the rectangular pit. The silver background also had interestingly twisted, raised black likes that felt like rubber. This carved portion of the chest had something similar to the circle on the lid, but there were three, and they all had different shapes. The first looked kind of like a paw, or some kind of plant leaf. The middle looked like an eye or a football. The one on the right looked like a drop of water. Evelyn turned it in her hands many times before she tried to open it. When she did, however, it wouldn't budge, no matter how many times she tried. She looked at Father Romulus questioningly.

"It has keys to it, one for each of those green holes. Your mother believed that a creature required four things to be human, and I'm told those holes resemble them. I'm afraid I don't know what those four things are, but I do know where the first key is…" said Father Romulus, "You must go to Slateport. There you must find a merchant by the codename "Sly Syther". Give him your ship tickets; he knows the way to a very special place."

"And you can't tell me where that place is?" asked Evelyn hopefully. He shook his head and she heard Draco groan. She imagined he was thinking what she was thinking; her mother had too many friends…

"Is…is there anything you can tell me about…you know, about my mother?" she asked, a desperate and aching note in her voice. The old man smiled to her.

"Only that she was incredible, and discovered the source of something with enormous importance to everything on this planet." He said. "Now you should go. The tricks on the path only work on your way upward; the way downward is a straightforward path."

He looked to Lisa next.

"You should follow. Sometimes two destinies walk along the same path. I think you two can help one another to the destination you never knew you were heading to."

Lisa nodded silently. All three travelers gave him a deep, kneeling bow before taking their leave. Evelyn was rolling new things in her head, letting herself grope and wander around the chest in her hands. It was exciting to have the chest her mother left for her, but frustrating to not know what was inside. Lisa caught up to her as they made their way down the stairs.

"Is it okay if I tag along? I can have Tauros carry us, if you'd like," said Lisa hopefully.

"Yeah…sure. If it's okay with him…" replied Evelyn, not really paying attention. Her mind was focused on the box in her hand. The chest that held something incredible, she just knew it. The secret of her mother's troubles, what happened to the towers; hell, maybe the secret of life or the cure for cancer and the common cold…Evelyn stopped suddenly only a few steps down, and Lisa turned to see her with a thoughtful, far-out look on her face.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I dunno; I just had a funny thought. So far, I've caught a Wooper, a Shroomish, and a Gastly…"

"So?"

"I was just wondering why I haven't managed to catch a Pokemon with arms…"

"Father Romulus, what's wrong?" asked Brother Philip, seeing his master watch the two girls disappear down the stairs and into the mist below. The older man was leaning on his cane when a tear came streaking down his cheek.

"I curse the fates for this day…" he whispered, voice thick. He clutched his cane so hard that his knuckles turned white and he spoke through gritted teeth. "I curse those responsible for what is to come. Great Legends, have mercy…"

* * *

**Chapter End Notes:**

_Whew. Can't wait to get all these chapters loaded. Like I've said; I have this story on two other sites, and wanted to take a swing at it here as well.  
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Next Chapter:** Babysitters and Kidnappers**

A brief run-in with an old friend leads to a new job for Evelyn, Draco, and Lisa. Babies are a mess, Pokemon are a handful, and baby Pokemon are a messy handful. Yet some want what isn't there, and even those just stepping in as babysitters must stand their ground.


	5. Babysitters and Kidnappers

A "small" accident lands Evelyn and Draco with a daycare specialist, who needs a little help around the yard. While babysitting with her, they finally meet a _true_ villain; a relative.

* * *

Chapter 5

**Babysitters and Kidnappers**

* * *

It was the middle of the night; a time when stars shone their brightest and put shame to any light in a city. They even managed their way through the thick trees of the forest and through the fabric of the tiny, triangular tent. Evelyn smiled up at the little white specks as she waited, the only illumination within the shelter coming from her Pokegear, open on her wrist. The white light conquered her corner of the tent, leaving Lisa and Draco safely in dreamland with no interruptions. Evelyn rubbed her eyes, wanting to join them, but waited for her grandfather to come back to his computer. Just as the hopeful thought occurred to her, the light on the screen shifted and she looked down to see her grandfather, as bald-headed and grey-bearded as ever, sit in the chair before his computer, fresh cup of coffee in his hands. She envied him; it was nearly two in the morning and she didn't have so much as a tea-leaf.

"Well," he said, "I can tell you that everything you've learned so far is true; as far as I know."

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Evelyn. "My own mother was a member of this 'Towers of Knowledge' business, and you didn't tell me? It isn't something as scandalous as Team Rocket, is it?"

"Pft," scoffed Professor Yew, "Team Rocket is nothing compared to the Onyx Guards."

"Onyx…Guards?"

"They work for the Onyx Tower. They aren't like Team Rocket; Team Rocket will battle you Pokemon to Pokemon. Onyx Guards will use their Pokemon to get to you. If that doesn't work, they'll use other methods of lethal force."

"Lethal force!" exclaimed Evelyn. Draco, sprawled on his back next to her, grunted in his sleep and kicked his foot a little before he continued snoring. Evelyn brought her voice down a few octaves. "Lethal force?"

"I told you," said her grandfather, "They aren't like Team Rocket; they will _kill_ you. They've killed before until they were subdued. They use Pokemon, guns, knives; anything! They're borderline terrorists!"

"I can see why you never told me…" muttered Evelyn. Her grandfather nodded gravely. "But they were subdued?"

"Partially," he answered. "When they rose up and took over two of the other towers, the police force learned of it and defeated them whenever they popped up. No one knows where any of the towers are, not even Onyx's Headquarters, so they're most likely still in formation. Rumor has it that they have sent spies into our police force, but there's little proof, my sources say."

"Your sources?" inquired Evelyn. Her grandfather suddenly looked a bit skittish, looking anywhere but at the web-cam, muttered things to himself. "Gran…"

"When…when you get to Slateport, ask about LORAO…"

"LORAO?"

"Yes, you'll learn all you really need to know then. Now you need to get some shut eye, and so do I," said her grandfather, giving her a stern look that made Evelyn pretty sure he meant it. She said her good nigh and he shut his line off. Evelyn closed the Pokegear and leaned back in her sleeping bag. Her grandfather seemed so rushed, but she decided to wait and learn what she could. She rolled over, curling an arm around Draco. As the darkness returned to the cheap, tiny tent, Evelyn could just barely make out the outline of the Phantom Chest, its bronze and silver gleaming next to the shimmer of gold. The keyholes, however, seemed to almost glow in the dark; the lime green of a paw-like shape, a football shape, a water drop, and a perfect circle on the lid. It was a little creepy; unsettling to look at the glows of the shapes in the dark, and Evelyn gave a shiver.

Draco frowned. He wondered if she realized he was perfectly awake, but desperately trying to change that. He turned over suddenly, facing her, and threw a hand into her face, blocking one of her eyes. She chuckled and pulled him closer before drifting off…

"Oh, my back…" groaned Lisa the following morning as she and Evelyn folded the tent up. Draco snickered, putting out the very fire he had created for breakfast.

"Hey, I warned you that I have a cheap-ass tent; it's only meant for one person. You're lucky I pulled out the tarp that goes underneath, or we'd have slept on the ground."

"And be paralyzed by morning," Lisa groaned, leaning back and Evelyn heard her spine pop. Draco physically cringed. "Let's just get going. Tauros?!"

The massive bull Pokemon grunted and came moseying around some shrubbery, chewing cud. Evelyn helped the smaller girl up then followed her, Draco latched to the back of her shirt. Lisa gave an odd clicking sound and the Tauros began to trot off. He didn't seem as lively as he was the day before.

"Is he alright?" asked Evelyn after they'd walked for a half an hour. Lisa looked over her shoulder to Evelyn.

"He hasn't gotten much sleep…" said Lisa, "We'll be in Mauville soon, though, so hopefully he'll be fi-"

No sooner were the words out of Lisa's mouth that a Seviper slithered out onto the path and reared up at the Tauros, who backed up a few paces, groaning and grunting, stamping his hooves.

"Woah, woah!" commanded Lisa, trying to calm the Tauros down. It stepped sideways, backward, and any which way it could, stamping its feet around. It was an awkward battle of movements as the Seviper moved wherever the Tauros did, like the annoying hallway dance; you move, they move, and no one gets anywhere. Without warning, the Seviper struck out at the forelegs of the Tauros. He reared up roughly, throwing Evleyn and Draco off his back. Lisa, however, leaned forward and grabbed the bull's neck tightly before it leapt over the Seviper and shot off, thundering down the pathway.

"Shit…" cursed Draco mentally, jumping onto Evelyn's back before she ran after them. The Seviper hissed but slithered off to the other side of the path. Evelyn sprinted after them, but the Tuaros was spooked beyond reason and it continued its rampage right through Mauville City itself! It roared passed townsfolk who scurried to get out of its way, Evelyn and Draco hot on its tail. They passed right through the small town and out into what seemed like a park of some sort. It ran toward a woman in a light pink apron that was watering plants outside a white picket fence. She turned just in time to see the Tauros, which reared up and veered sharply to the side where it tried to hurdle over the fence. It failed amazingly, instead breaking right through the fence and tripping over the splintering wood before tumbling over.

"Oh no- Lisa!" shouted Evelyn, watching the Tauros roll right over her friend. There were Pokemon inside the yard everywhere and they scattered to avoid the creature. Tauros recovered, and Lisa had fallen off in the tussle, still conscious but bruised up and holding her arm. The bull bucked and kicked, breaking yet more of the fence; by now random folks from town and some athletes and trainers working nearby had rushed over to help. A Tangla hurried out from the crowd of Pokemon and launched vines, binding the Tauros, who still remained panicked, fighting the new restraints. The woman they had passed reached back and threw a Pokeball.

"Noctowl, hypnosis!" she shouted. The bird Pokemon flapped over to a lone fence post, the soul survivor of that section that received so much abuse from the spooked bull. It landed on one foot, holding the other one up to balance as it spread its wings out, curving them in to block Tauros' view of anything else. All anyone could hear were the gentle purring and chirps of the Noctowl before the bull stopped struggling, swayed in spot, and then collapsed sideways. Evelyn rushed forward to help pick up Lisa, who hissed in pain as they gently moved her arm.

The woman, who obvious owned the place, let her Noctowl fly and land on her arm, frowning at the two. She had dark brown hair of perhaps shoulder-blade length, though one couldn't tell since it was held up in a ponytail. Her hazel eyes were stern but concerned, and she wasn't any taller than Evelyn. She sighed, shaking her head. She seemed tired, and Evelyn imagined, due to the woman's tan skin, she must work outside a lot. The woman pointed toward the house at the end of the yard.

"Get in; you're friend is hurt…" she said, then looked back to the onlookers. "What are you all staring at?!"

They jumped and hurried off, grumbling. Evelyn helped Lisa into the house. It was cute and country-style; light pinks and blue coupled with white. She opened the door and led Lisa into a kitchen and sat her down at the table. The woman came in after them, shutting the door behind her. She quickly busied herself, throwing something into the microwave and running a cloth under the water faucet. She had a simple white shirt on and light-blue jeans; her light brown strapped sandals clapping dully on the tile floor. She took off her light pink apron and hung it on a key-rack next to the door before she came over, pulling up a chair in front of Lisa and began to wipe the dirt off her arm.

"That was a heck of a ride," she commented, smiling a bit. Lisa relaxed, hearing that her voice was frustrated but amused. "Is your Tauros new? He doesn't seem to listen to you…"

"No, it's not that…" said Lisa, "We were on our way here when he was spooked by a Seviper."

"Seviper? Yeah, that'll do it…" the woman said. She was rather kind, after the initial shock of having a two ton bull rampage in your backyard wore off. She couldn't be any older than early twenties, and she was quite motherly the way she gently moved Lisa.

"Sorry…about your fence," said Lisa.

"Oh, no worries," said the woman. She stopped once Lisa's arms and face were cleaned, then went to a cabinet and came back with some peroxide for the minor cuts. Lisa flinched, but the woman gave her a gentle smile, "Took quite the beating, didn't you? I'm Maria, by the way. I run the daycare here."

"That explains all the Pokemon," thought Draco, looking at the kitchen window over the sink where many Pokemon were peering in to see what the hubbub was all about.

"We can fix the fence," said Evelyn. Draco glared at her; does she have a Rattata in her pocket? What was this 'we' nonsense. Evelyn returned his look when Maria went to take whatever it was out of the microwave. He knew there was no argument here, but he'd give her hell for it later.

"Oh, that's very sweet of you. I could use some help; it's been busy here. I'm afraid you can't, though, Miss…?" asked Maria, looking to Lisa as she applied a hot-pack to Lisa's arm.

"Lisa. Lisa Hoffman, and this is Evelyn and Draco," she replied, "Why can't I help?"

"Your arm is sprained. You're lucky it's just some wrist-issues and not a broken bone. Besides; I have professionals for that. You two just need to help me baby-sit until they're fixed," said Maria, putting Lisa's arm into a sling, the hot-pack held inside. Evelyn groaned inwardly; it wasn't even her Pokemon that did the damage, but she'd have to clean up after it.

"First, we'll have some lunch," said Maria, getting up and moving to the refrigerator. Draco perked up.

I like her already, he thought. They ate simple sandwiches and chatted idly about themselves.

"I've always loved flying Pokemon, but I still like all Pokemon, so I started this daycare," said Maria.

"Really? I love normal types, but I want to help all Pokemon!" said Lisa.

"You should consider being a caretaker," said Maria. They finished and moved out into the yard again. Lisa's Tauros had recovered a bit, but stayed lying on the ground, looking woozy. There were random Pokemon scattered around, some already picking up pieces of wood and tossing them into the garbage.

It was a beautiful day; a few clouds in the air but a blue sky was stretched out. Maria guided Evelyn to a warehouse on the far side of the yard, where she handed her some Pokemon food. The yard was beautiful, despite the chaos that was the shattered fence. Green, lush grass, shady areas near the trees behind the house, a large pond at one corner, along with sand and boulders. There were many kinds of Pokemon; water, fire, flying, large, small, cranky, nice, and everything in between.

Draco was playing with some smaller Pokemon, pretending to be something along the lines of Godzilla. Lisa sat with a group of Pokemon, playing with them. Evelyn helped Maria feed pour some Pokemon food in troughs near the house, and Draco was the lucky bastard who got to sit and relax. Evelyn nudged Maria when she noticed something odd. Every time Lisa got up to move to a new group, a little Spearow with a bandaged wing hopped after her.

"Lisa?" said Maria. Lisa looked up, brushing some light brown hair away from her face. She felt a scratching at her back as the little bird began clawing its way up her shirt and to her shoulder.

"Row!" it screeched, quite pleased. Lisa patted its head.

"I think you've made a new friend," said Evelyn as she and Maria approached, the ladder of which began to fill some food bowls.

"I like him," said Lisa, "What's wrong with his wing?"

"I found him like that. He was injured when some OG men tried to capture his whole flock. They made off with about half of them…" said Maria. Evleyn frowned.

"OG?" she asked.

"It's a name we gave them. They're some goons that steal Pokemon from the wild. They have uniforms with "OG" on them…They've been bothering me since I saved half the flock."

"Bothering you how?" asked Lisa. Bless her, thought Evelyn, she has no idea.

"You're about to find out…" muttered Maria, frowning as she finished filling a bowl and straightened up. Evelyn and Lisa followed her gaze to a girl and boy walking toward the house. Evelyn and Lisa recognized the boy right away; the look of youth, pencil thin, blonde-haphazard hair, short for a boy. Hell, his clothes gave him away more than anything; collared shirt, khaki pants, dress shoes, rimless glasses, and a tie.

"Denis?" said Lisa. The boy smiled and waved, but the girl swatted his hand harshly. Her face was blank, emotionless. She had platinum blonde, long hair and silver eyes. She was Evelyn's height and wore a uniform consisting grey tights, a black skirt, a black button-up blouse with a grey undershirt, and true to what Maria had said, there was grey embroidery of a calligraphy OG on both the shirt and skirt. They approached the broken fence, the girl with her hands behind her back and looking down at the scene with a calculating look. Denis looked a little jumpy, giving a faltering smile.

"Are you giving up yet, Fiona?" asked Maria, hands on her hips. The girl kept her head moving, looking at the scene, but stopped momentarily and looked to Maria, face still deadpan.

"Negative," said the girl, Fiona. Her speech was crisp and cutting, robotic even. "I have returned as a final warning. You will reciprocate for the specimen you have taken from us. If you do not agree now, we will take them by force. What is your answer?"

"As you would say, 'negative'," said Maria, cleaning her hands off on her apron. The girl made no expression but pulled out a cell phone and began to talk too quietly for them to hear. Denis was wringing his hands nervously.

"Denis, what are you doing with _her_? Don't you know what she's part of?!" hissed Evelyn. The boy frowned at her.

"Yes, I do, but how do you kno-"

"It is decided…" said Fiona, hanging up her phone. What's been decided, thought Draco, climbing onto the top of a sleeping Snorlax. They were all giving her a suspicious look, even Denis, until a low rumbling shocked the air. The trees nearby rustled loudly before they rolled in waves, wind rushing past them. Evelyn and the others had to throw their arms in front of them to keep the dirt that was kicked up from blinding them as a massive machine came hovering from over the trees.

It was something like a helicopter, but at a level all its own. It had wings like an airplane but mounted on each were two sets of rotor blades, making a total of four. It was a massive machine, the size and shape of a 747 passenger plane; its nose was a glass dome with metal scaffolding behind which was several other OG's. It had a dull grey to its body, and guiding lights here and there blinking. It turned sharply, the real rotor blades making the tail swing around. It hovered over them, wind thrashing the grass like a pebble dropped in water. The belly of this air fortress dropped open like a trapdoor and down fell a net over the majority of the yard. Its corners, weighed down with metal tips, dragged along the ground and clipped together, all the daycare Pokemon inside. Draco shouted out to Evelyn as the net tightened and was jerked upward, zipping upward.

"DRACO!" shouted Evelyn, jumping to grab the net, but it slipped away from her fingers. She turned wildly to the girl who just seconds before called and gave the command for this thievery, but she was climbing onto the back of a Skarmory before taking off, Denis sitting behind her.

Lisa listened as Evelyn cursed a whole new book of obscenities, even calling the girl a word that started with a C and rhymed with blunt. Lisa felt a rush of sympathy for Evelyn as the doors of the machine slammed shut; Lisa's Tauros was gone too. The fortress rose up and took off, disappearing over the treetops. Evelyn couldn't manage to think straight; she had no way to follow them. If she didn't…she might never see Draco again.

"I can't believe she- No! C'mon!" shouted Maria, pulling out a Pokeball and releasing a Pidgeot. She climbed onto its back and signaled to Evelyn. "Get on! Lisa, you stay here."

Back the cargo hold, Draco struggled inside the net, trying desperately to get some space between him and his fellow prisoners. The door slammed shut and they were wrapped in darkness, the only illumination coming from one blue light, fading on and off. The net released itself and was retracted into a hole in the wall. Now he was sitting with all these Pokemon in a cold, metal room. He slid along the wall to a corner and sat down. He had no clue what to do; he and Evelyn hadn't been separated before. His stomach churned at the injustice of it all, and the idea that he would never see her again. He laid his head in his hands.

"Can't you get any closer!" hissed Evelyn behind Maria. They were tailing the flying fortress from a good few yards away. Maria shook her head.

"No, look! They're landing…" hissed Maria. The fortress hovered for a moment and then lowered itself into a clearing in the forest. Inside the clearing were several machines that looked similar to tanks, and behind them were trailers with netted cages full of wild Pokemon. Uniformed OG men were standing around with clipboards, examining the angry Pokemon held captive. The Pokemon were roaring, screeching, rearing up on their hind legs and trying to swat the men in black and grey, but to no avail.

Pidgeot landed on a large pine tree so that they could watch as the flying machine hovered for a while as it gently and carefully lowered itself down. The door to the plane's cockpit opened and lowered down a set of stairs. A few guards walked and began to talk with the ground units, particularly those with clipboards counting Pokemon. They behaved in a military fashion: the higher OG would walk to one counting Pokemon, the latter of which would come to attention and salute the higher guard, who would return the salute before the conversation began. Evelyn could catch what one near them was saying;

"The Lieutenant wants the quantities of Pokemon captured immediately; we're due for take-off before 1900, and we'll have to delay if we have failed to reach our quota. Do you have them?" said the higher-up.

"Yes, sir; but only the first count, and I know that the Lieutenant will not allow us to load the Pokemon until we've counted twice more," replied the lower-ranking guard. The higher-up nodded, came to attention, did an about-face, and moved to parade rest. All around the clearing, other higher-ups did a similar move, all of them now facing the woods, being vigilant watchmen. One guard returned to the plane, and Evelyn could only assume this was to inform "the Lieutenant".

Maria nudged Evelyn, pointing to the tail end of the machine where no one was standing. She nodded and the Pidgeot flew carefully through the trees, landing out of sight. They climbed off and moved through the vegetation. They waited until they were sure no one was looking and ran forward under the machine, hidden from sight by its landing skids.

"We have to find a way to open it…" hissed Maria. Evelyn looked over the hinges of the trapdoor until she found a set of controls; a thin metal square with buttons and a lever.

"Hey, look!" she hissed. Maria came by and looked at it. It had multiple buttons and a single lever with a label above it that read "Emergency Cargo Release". Maria smiled and gestured to it, as if to say "You do the honors." Evelyn reached forward and pulled it…

The light inside the cargo hold suddenly flashed red, on and off like a strobe light, quite different from the calm dimming from moments earlier and a siren wailed. Draco barely had time to register this before the cargo door dropped like a metal slide and the Pokemon all slid out. Many things happened at once. Maria shouted to the Pokemon to run, which they readily did, knocking over several guards who were rushing to the area of commotion. As they ran, Evelyn was happy to see a few of the more ferocious ones, like Zangoose and a Mightyena, attacking the net-cages, freeing the other captured Pokemon.

More and more guards came rushing out of the plane, surrounding Evelyn and Maria, but Evelyn didn't care. Draco ran down the trap door and jumped into her arms, where she pulled him close. The Pokemon had gotten away by the time the guards had them surrounded, and it was the synchronized "chik-chik" of guns being cocked that brought Evelyn back to reality. They were all holding semi-automatic rifles, each dressed in similar uniforms as Fiona's, but they all had grey helmets with black glass over their eyes on.

"You can't count a few Pokemon without a screw up, can you? Just a few numbers is all I wanted, an-" came a disturbingly calm voice as Fiona pushed her way into the circle and saw Evelyn and Maria. "You two? You have no business with us any longer, the transaction has been made."

"Transaction? I keep a flock of Pokemon out of your hands and you steal daycare Pokemon?" said Maria, stepping forward threateningly, but when a guard raised his rifle, she stepped back. Fiona kept her eyes on Evelyn and Draco as she placed a hand on the guard's rifle, lowering it. She was narrowing her eyes at Evelyn, then focused on Draco, and for the first time she made an expression; a slow smile that send shivers up the little Charmander's spine.

"Oh, this is much better," she said. "Take them."

Guards came forward and grabbed Evelyn by the arms, another grabbing Draco separately, and a third taking Maria. They were escorted up the stairs and into the machine. It was an odd kind of cockpit, obviously one meant to hold a good few people. There was the main floor in front of them, a very high level to the right, and a set of stairs leading up to it, along with a metal door near the top of the stairs. There must have been a lot of control panels up there since lights were reflecting on the shiny surface of the ceiling. Along the opposite wall to the door they were led in were buttons, knobs, and other components along a massive control wall.

To the left was the nose of the plane, a cupped pane of glass. Before the nose was a raised metal platform with stairs on either side of it. At the base of this platform, right between the two stairs leading up to it, was a desk of controls, obviously navigation due to its pilot-controls and radar. Not only that, but Denis was there, sitting in a metal chair at the controls, pushing buttons, toggling things, and moving levers frantically. He turned when he heard the door close behind them, and froze when he saw the group.

"Denis, close all openings and set a course for the Tower," said Fiona. She waved a hand at the surplus of guards, most of which bowed and walked off, going up the steep, right-hand stairs, through the sliding metal door, which sealed shut behind them. The guards that held them, however, stayed put. Fiona walked up one side of the metal stairs and onto the platform at the nose, hands behind her back and as calm as ever.

Evelyn jerked her arm when the guard held it too tightly. Maria made no movements at all. Draco was contemplating about pissing on his guard's boots. He decided it was too degrading, no matter how amusing. The machine roared to life as the rotor blades started up. Evelyn could hear the sound of the cargo door closing. The machine jerked as it rose off its landing skids. Fiona still wore the same, oddly empty smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Why are you taking us?" asked Maria. Bless her, though Draco, she was calm, she was collected, and he was sure it was partially due to the fact that she couldn't spew fire, which is what he would have done. Maria rose and eyebrow then signaled the guards away. They released them, bowed and walked off like the others.

"You have something rare with you. My father needs specimen like him," she said, pointing to Draco, "and we cannot afford having you two opening your mouths, so you'll most likely be eliminated."

"There are other shineys," said Evelyn, fairly certain that was what she was referring to, "Why Draco?"

"Draco? This name is unfamiliar to me. I am referring to the Charmander. Number 004," said Fiona, loosing her smile. "We have…_used_ most of the shineys around this region, and a few others. They've become rather rare, but our research objective is so close, we can hardly afford to back out now."

Evelyn couldn't find anything to say at this moment. She just gawked at the girl, as did Draco. Maria seemed unfazed and Denis was working with the equipment faster than ever.

"Denis," said Fiona. The boy jumped like someone had shocked him and she rolled her eyes, annoyed. "Call my father; I want him to know…"

She turned around, facing the glass nose. It was a gently curved pane of glass, nearly flat. A screen appeared on the glass, revealing a man that was sitting back in chair, lazily sipping on some kind of alcohol. He had medium length, well combed salt and pepper hair. He had a sheriff's mustache of the same color, and broad shoulders. He was wrinkling at the corners of his eyes and near his nose, and his skin was as pale as his daughter's.

His eyes, however, were very unlike hers. They were, ultimately, just black, no color to discern between the iris and the pupil. They could only see his upper torso, the silver of his robes gleaming against some very dim light, the high collar pulled up around his neck. He had his head against one fist, the elbow most likely resting on the arm of his chair. He was spinning a wide glass in his hand, looking at the liquid swirl with an uninterested expression.

"What is it now?" he asked. "Have you gotten my new specimens?"

"No, father, bu-" began Fiona, but she was interrupted when the man suddenly threw the glass he was holding across whatever room he was in. They could hear it shatter, and the sound echoed.

"Then _why_ do you call me?! I didn't give you the rank of Lieutenant so you could just dick around!" he shouted, now looking at the webcam. "What on earth cou-"

He stopped and frowned, looking past Fiona, who stepped aside and gave a show of her hands toward Draco and Evelyn. His eyes narrowed.

"It can't be…" he whispered. Fiona, for the first time, gave a genuine smile. He was leaning forward in his chair and looking at Evelyn with a sort of shrewdness. "Incredible…"

"Yes, father," said Fiona. "I know how much you desire shineys, and-"

"She looks so much like her mother…" he mused. Fiona frowned, as did Maria, both looking at Evelyn, who was glaring at the man in confusion.

"I beg your pardon?" she said. He chuckled and sat back, playing with his facial hair idly.

"You look just like your mother…well, you _should_, of course," he chuckled. When he saw the confused looks on all their faces, he cleared his throat and spoke to Fiona. "You do not realize what you have happened upon, Fiona. That girl's mother was the moron who deprived us of the information we needed to complete our work…"

Fiona turned and glared at Evelyn. Draco was beginning to get the feeling that, with this girl, when daddy said jump, she would not only jump, but she'd do so off the very plane they were in if it made him happy. The man on the screen spoke again.

"Unfortunately, she is also your cousin," he said. Now everyone in the room gaped at him, even Denis, who stopped working with the controls. When the plane swayed to one side, Fiona kicked him cruelly in the temple from the platform and he straightened the flight.

"Cousins?" echoed Evelyn, thoroughly confused. "That's not possible; my mother was an only child."

"I'm certain my father would keep you believing that. I can't imagine he is very proud of me after all I've done. He would be if he could see things my way. All the same; I am your uncle Rexus," he said, giving a sneer, obviously not taking the title seriously at all, "and I was your mother's older brother when she was alive."

"This is irrelevant!" shouted Fiona, unhappy that someone had her father's attention. He turned to her with a cold look. "I have her, so what does that mean?!"

"Does she have a chest with her? My sister made that chest while she worked for us; while she worked for Onyx Tower," he said. Evelyn's stomach flipped; her mother worked for them?

"I don't have it here!" shouted Evelyn. She was happy now she had left it in the daycare house. "And I'm not telling you where it is!"

That's my girl, thought Draco, smiling in her arms. Rexus glared at her, clicking his tongue in a 'tut, tut, tut' melody.

"You don't understand how incredibly like your mother you _really_ are, girl," he whispered, then turned to Fiona, "Now bring them back; we have ways of making her talk, but I need her alive!"

"Yes, father," said Fiona. Without another word, the transition ended. Denis raised a shaky hand childishly, as if he were in school again.

"M-miss?" he asked. She acknowledged him with a glare. "I've set the auto-pilot on…May-may I go now?"

"You coward," she hissed. "You simply want to avoid my anger. Fine; I never knew you to be foolish. Leave and lock the door behind you."

He scurried up, rushing past Evelyn and Maria, up the stairs, and through the sliding metal door. Fiona walked down the stairs of the platform and slowly along all the control panels that littered large wall until she came to a drawer. She slid it open and fiddled around a moment, Evelyn and Maria watching her with suspicion. She turned around with a 45 caliber gun in her hand, loaded and ready.

"Hey, he said alive!" shouted Maria, both she and Evelyn backing up. Fiona's expression remained unaltered.

"Yes, he wants _her_ alive. _You_, however, are just in the way," she said before pointing the gun at Maria. Evelyn could understand now more than ever the warnings her grandfather gave her; this wasn't like the stories one heard of with a kid defeating Team Rocket agents easily. This was real life, and in real life, your enemy aimed to kill. Draco suddenly bit Evelyn's arm.  
"Ouch!" she gasped, dropping him. He landed on all fours. Fiona, distracted, looked at him in time to see him shoot a stream of blue and white fire at her feet. She gasped and faltered back. Maria, seeing a window of opportunity, launched herself forward, her fist balled. It flew forward, meeting the Fiona's jaw, sending her back further and she dropped her gun. It fired, but fired into the controls under the platform. Sparks flew and a siren went off, red lights near the ceiling flashing. A screen flashed on the glass nose and a woman's computer voice echoed over the siren.

"Autopilot Malfunction…Autopilot Malfunction…"

Fiona glared at Maria and Evelyn, her hand on a newly broken lip. She reached back threw a Pokeball, a Houndour released.

"Ember!" she shouted. The dog shot a stream of flames at Maria, but Draco headed it off, veering it off with his own stream of fire. Evelyn, no longer willing to play fair, threw out Issac, who just ran in a circle happily the moment he was free, feet padding on the metal floor.

"Water gun on everything!" she shouted. Issac danced for a moment, then stopped and spewed a stream of water at every control panel in the room, including the one at the door on top of the stairs.

"Total System Malfunction; Mandatory Landing Engaged." The system chanted now.

Banging was heard on the other side of the door followed by gunfire. A few bullets came through; only hitting the window of the plane's nose, cracking it severely as they flew threw easily. Houndour continued his attacks, trying to get around Draco and Issac and throwing fire at the two humans who opposed his mistress. Evelyn was focused on the battle until something outside caught her eye, a movement outside of the glass. She looked, wondering what it could be in mid-flight. Maria's Pidgeot was flying outside the nose of the plane.

"Evelyn, where are you going?" shouted Maria over the sirens and the pounding and the system's warnings. Evelyn had dodged a shot of fire and grabbed the metal chair in front of the controls and ran up the stairs to the platform where she threw it at the damaged area of the glass. It shattered and everyone, even the Pokemon, were forced to hunker down as the pressure of the air was swept out of the chamber, almost taking them with it. Outside Pidgeot saw the chair go flying out of the window and wildly over the back of the plane. It ducked down and flew close to the window, slightly under it.

"Issac, return!" shouted Evelyn, returning the Whooper. Draco took the hint, seeing the bird Pokemon waiting, and ran up the stairs to Evelyn, followed by Maria. Fiona, holding onto the railing of the other set of stairs on the platform, roared at them as they jumped out onto the Pidgeot and with a single flap of its wings, disappeared over the plane.

Evelyn and Maria watched from above as the flying fortress rocked and flew erratically, lower and lower, barley over the treetops. It stayed in flight and disappeared beyond the horizon, still flying low. They were catching their breath as the Pidgeot turned around and began to fly back in the direction that it knew to be home. Maria kept looking back.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" she asked. Draco snorted. Who cares, he thought.

"You heard the computer. They'll land and that will be that…" sighed Evelyn. The sun was beginning to go down as they approached the daycare, easily recognized by its country-house style, large yard, and most importantly, its destroyed fence. Lisa was standing outside and began to jump and wave with both arms when she spotted them. Behind her, in the yard, the Pokemon had found their way back.

"I can't thank you enough," said Lisa as they landed. Her Tuaros was next to her, licking the entire length of her face. Maria got off Pidgeot, followed by Evelyn and Draco. Lisa stopped smiling at the somber look on Maria's face when she turned to Evelyn.

"You know you can't stay here," she said simply. Poor Lisa was completely lost, watching the two talk.

"Why not?" she asked. Draco waved a hand dismissively, as if to say 'not now'.

"I know I can't, but I can't exactly teleport to Slateport," replied Evelyn. Maria frowned, a look of epiphany dawning on her. She grabbed Evelyn by the hand and dragged her to the warehouse and threw the door open. Inside was a massive amount of Pokemon care supplies on shelves, but in the center was a plain white bike with a basket on the front, on the handlebar.

"If I thought you were safe in the air," started Maria at Evelyn's suspicious look, "I'd give you my Pidgeot, but you simply aren't. So take this and get there as soon as you can; I'll give you my number and you better call me when you're there."

"Why can't we take Tauros?" asked Lisa. All three, Maria, Evelyn, and Draco, turned to give her a shrewd look.

"One word…Seviper," said Evelyn. Lisa pouted.

"Oh, he was tired; it won't happen again!" she said, but even she didn't sound so sure. Maria put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a smile.

"I think your place is here," she said simply. Then she pointed to the bird still on Lisa's shoulder. "You've already made a friend."

"Yeah…" said Lisa, looking at the Spearow on her shoulder. "But…"

"Look, I can help you become the best Pokemon caretaker in the world. Please stay…"

"Evelyn?"

Evelyn gave her a sad smile before pulling her into a hug, Draco hugging Lisa's shin below. As she pulled back, Lisa seemed to understand that there was no argument here, so she nodded.

"Alright…but you better be safe!" she commanded, shaking a finger teasingly at Evelyn. She retrieved her belongings from the house while Maria dusted off the bicycle.

"I used to use this for picking up supplies, but since I have people bring them to me, I haven't gotten to use it in a while. Take good care of her," said Maria, rolling the bike to Evelyn.

"I will," promised Evelyn. She placed a spare sweatshirt in the basket on the handlebars and placed Draco inside. He laid down, legs lazily hanging over the edge of the basket, tail curved in to his tummy, and arms behind his head. He gave her a fang-filled smirk and Evelyn rolled her eyes.

"Spoiled brat," she whispered as she leaned over to him from the bike's seat. He simply kissed her nose and the others chuckled. Evelyn waved goodbye as she rode off. Soon, both her friends and the sun were out of sight, the only light she had as she rode along the path came from Draco's fire. She wanted to make it to Slateport as soon as possible, desiring more answers than ever. The sound of the hum in the wheels sang to her, trying to lull her to sleep, but she resisted, even as the moon came up. She kept her eyes, forward; toward Slateport, toward safety, and toward the future with endings less forgiving than the escape she experience that very day.

* * *

**Chapter End Notes:**

_Aaaand a chapter is done. I'm having fun with this; isn't it obvious? Sex won't come until around Chapter 14-ish. I won't rush into anything, I promise. I need time to develop these characters more. Particularly the relationship between Draco and Evelyn. I'm littering this thing with so many clues..._

__  
_

Next Chapter:**Dead End Blues**

In the busy, chaotic scene that is Slateport's seaside marketplace, how hard can it be to find Sly Scyther? Harder than you'd think. What does Devon Corp have to do with him? What do they have to do with the mysterious organization called "LORAO"? More importantly, why they hell is Blake drunk?


	6. Dead End Blues

Evelyn and Draco arrive at Slateport, low on sleep and luck. A need for food reunites them with a not-so-sober friend who points them in the right direction, but a new friend points them to a better one. Disappointment can hurt at the end of a long day.

* * *

Chapter 6

**Dead End Blues**

* * *

"I'm either going to pass out or die," mumbled Evelyn, "and I'm not sure which I'd prefer…"

Draco snorted from his basket at the front of the bike. The sun was almost all the way up and they'd been riding all night. Well…by _they_ he meant Evelyn. He had pulled out his sign language book and read it as they rode along. By this point, Evelyn truly did seem somewhere between consciousness and dreamland; lack of sleep never did suit her well. As he recalled, she had a hell of a temper if he didn't let her sleep in. At the moment, they were just riding into Slateport, the humming of the wheels changing as they met the road of the city. Evelyn was muttering things viciously under her breath.

"Stupid son of a- I finally have more family members…turn out to be psychopaths. One's a blond, emotionless robot and the other's a…well he's a jerk!" she grumbled as they peddled on and on. Finally, under the dull glow of the streetlights, made useless as the sky began to lighten, they pulled in front of the red-roofed Pokemon Center. Evelyn parked the bike near some bike rails and chained it to them before they went in, Draco now sitting and reading on her messenger bag.

"Good morning. My, you're out early!" cooed the Nurse Joy behind the counter. Evelyn shivered a little; no matter how many times she reminded herself that there were numerous Nurse Joys in the world, seeing one in every city gave her the creeps. Like she was being follow by a gang of overly-hygienic gangsters in pink.

"Yes, Ma'am. Where are your phones?" asked Evelyn. Nurse Joy pointed to the waiting area where one section was dedicated to the small, secluded, and desk-like machines that looked like red television sets with corded phones attached to them. Evelyn made her way over. One stand was smashed up, like someone had taken a chair to it in anger, so it was roped off. Evelyn went to one of the good ones and sat down. As she put Draco's book away, he hopped onto the desk, lifted the phone, and dialed the number. When Evelyn sat up again she took the phone Draco handed to her before he jumped down to sit and snuggle into her lap. She listened as the phone rang before it was answered.

"Oh, thank goodness, it's you Eve- Woah!" gasped Maria on the other line when she came into view. "You look terrible!"

Draco looked up. She was right; Evelyn could only manage to hold her eyes halfway open at best and they were bloodshot with dark circles underneath. Her skin, to him, felt rather clammy, and she slurred a bit in her speech, but she would straighten herself up every-so-often. Almost a full twenty four hours without sleep didn't agree with her in the least. She simply wasn't trained for it; some people could go ages without sleep. Evelyn was one of those people Draco would prescribe afternoon naps for.

"Yeah, I'm a bit tired…but I've got things to do, you know? So a nap is out of the question. I'm just calling to let you know I'm okay. Where's Lisa?" asked Evelyn.

"I have her doing the morning rounds outside. She'll be in soon. That's the benefit to having an apprentice, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"The fact that I can make her do my work…" said Maria, smiling. Evelyn shook her head and Draco practically applauded her. Maria smiled and the sound of a door closing echoed on her side of the line before Lisa came into view, wearing a similarly pink apron as Maria's. She was holding something large and oblong that was colored white and pink.

"What's that?" asked Maria. Lisa handed it to her and sat down in a chair next to Maria in front of the webcam.

"An egg. A customer came by to pick up their Pokemon and it had this egg. They said they didn't want it!" said Lisa.

"Didn't want it?!" gasped Maria.

"Does that happen often?" asked Evelyn. Draco was grumbling in her lap, arms crossed and quite displeased.

"No, it doesn't. It does happen; Pokemon having eggs, I mean. But…the trainers usually want the egg. How odd," said Maria, handing the egg back to Lisa, who took it and cradled it gently.

"What'll you do with it?" asked Evelyn.

"Well, our oath as caretakers says we have to keep it, hatch it, and care for it until we find a suitable trainer," said Maria before she turned to Lisa. "I'll leave this one to you. I've had my share egg-sitting and baby Pokemon. They're a hell of a handful."

"Okay…" agreed Lisa, though she sounded nervous and unsure. Maria looked back to Evelyn.

"I advise you stay low for a while; they might come looking for you," said Maria.

"I don't see why they would," said Evelyn, "They didn't know I was on my way here. Besides, I have to find someone, and fast."

"Are you really in that big of a hurry?"

"Well…no. Not really. I just want to learn more about my mother while I have the chance, and I just feel like I'm _so_ close to a breakthrough! I don't even remember much, but the guy I'm supposed to meet is going to take me somewhere that my mother had some deep connection with…or something along those lines…"

"You're really walking blind, aren't you?" asked Maria bluntly.

"Yeah, people I've spoken to like to leave me in the dark…" said Evelyn. Draco snorted.

(Yeah, they're as useful as a damp match in a dark cave at this point,) he thought.

"Well, time's flying, Eve," said Lisa. "Where are you looking, again?"

"The market place for some guy called Sly Scyther," replied Evelyn.

"The market opens pretty early and gets crowded fast, if I recall correctly," said Maria, "I used to get supplies from there before my business really got off the ground. What time is it?"

Evelyn looked to her Pokegear.

"About six in the morning," said Evelyn.

"You'd better get going. Have some breakfast first, okay?" reasoned Maria. Evelyn nodded.

"Good luck," said Lisa.

"Thank you. I'll call later, okay?" said Evelyn. Both Maria and Lisa nodded, and Evelyn hung up her end. The screen went black.

"Alright…we better get started," sighed Evelyn, picking up her bag strap from the back of the chair and throwing it over her shoulder. Draco leapt off from the chair to the bag before Evelyn made her way out the door.

It was early morning now, the sun up just over the horizon, painting the sky in a clean blue. When Evleyn and Draco stepped outside, however, the sky was the last thing on their minds. The streets were crawling already! The port was busy with towering ships and moving cargo. Workers were shouting to one another, auctioneers were hollering over crowds of buyers over the merchandise. All in all, it was a chaotic atmosphere for sure. The concrete pier that ran along the beachfront was covered in people. Wingulls and a few Pelippers flew around, looking for scraps, the briny smell of the oceanfront was wafting on the wind they flew upon.

Evelyn and Draco made their way through the crowds down the pier. Moving in this crowd was difficult at best. She found herself stepping over piles of large ropes and avoiding the slippery areas of the pier. Evelyn held her arms close, Draco closer, as people bumped into her shoulders roughly, not caring if it hurt. She'd never been to a big city before, and it felt like she was invisible. Like she might as well be one of the stone poles the ships were tied to with the way people just walked around her. She was standing on her tiptoes now and again, trying to look over the heads of the taller folk. Still, she was thirteen, and no matter how she tried, she remained lost in the crowd.

Two hours of this was too much for Evelyn and she forced her way out of the masses and onto a cement slab that was elevated by about two feet. She hopped on and leaned against the wall behind it, panting. The shade of the building's eves was welcomed. Draco looked to her. She looked unfocused, more tired than ever before, and lost in her own body. He heard her stomach growl next to him, and he frowned before tugging roughly on her shirt.

Evelyn wasn't paying attention. Sleep was so badly needed. Everything, every sound, and everyone seemed to be swaying a little, going into doubles and singles, loud and muffled, over and over again. She closed her eyes and groaned, rubbing them with her hands to rid herself of the stinging in them. Draco tugged harder on her shirt and she gasped and jumped a little, as if jolted from sleep itself. She looked down to him and frowned.

"What?! I'm doing my best! I don't see how we can find him here; it's a mess!" she snapped. He retracted a little at her temper but when her stomach growled again, he took a step forward on her messenger bag and jabbed her in the stomach roughly.

"Ouch!" she gasped, holding the spot he'd practically stabbed with his little hand. "Oh…oh, I see. I'm sorry, Drake. I'm just tired."

He put his hands on his hips and gave her a skeptical look.

"-and hungry, and hungry!" she added hurriedly. "I've got bad news on that, though…we don't have enough for both of us. We'll probably have to split something if we can't find a cheap enough place."

Draco shrugged. He'd never tell her, but if they had to share something, he'd only pick at it and let her eat more of it. He'd hate himself for stealing nutrition from her when she probably needed it more. Evelyn smiled and pulled him close to her side with one hand. Both were unaware that they were thinking of doing the same thing, food wise.

"Alright…hold your breath, we're jumping back in again," grumbled Evelyn. She stepped forward and hopped down back onto the concrete of the harbor's pier and swam as best she could with the crowd. Draco was helping her by looking for a restaurant among the buildings that ran along the harbor. It wasn't hard to spot one; it was a good spot for food business when the shipmen wanted a meal. He tugged on her shirt and pointed to a restaurant they were closing in on. One had to be ready to jump out of the crowd successfully. Evelyn hurried to "merge" over to the far right and to the outer band of the crowd before breaking off and through the double, western-style doors of the chosen building. She hadn't even paid any attention to the restaurant's name, "The Drunken Mankey."

The moment they stepped in, however, it was rather obvious what kind of establishment it was. There were round wooden tables and chairs scattered around the room and a dimly lit bar was stretched on the far side. The atmosphere was thick with smoke, alcohol, and testosterone. Sailors and cargo workers were hunched over their tables, smoking and drinking or playing cards. Some looked up, however, when the darkness of the pub was interrupted by the white-blue light of a tail flame of a little black Charmander, standing on a bag at the side of a thirteen year old girl. Some looked up, acknowledge, and went back to brooding or playing. Some glared openly for some girl who dared break the sacrilege of their sanctuary. Some, who would forever remain on Draco's personal "Must Kill" list, had the balls to wolf-call at her and recommend places she should stay that night. Evelyn blushed and immediately mumbled an apology before turning to leave.

"Well 'and me a mushroom and call me a Paras, iz Evel...evely...Fuck it, is Eve!" shouted a voice from the bar. Evelyn felt a shiver run up her spine while Draco felt a "disturbance in the force". It was both a familiar and an unfamiliar voice at the same time. They turned to see a young man in a filthy trench coat. His hands were holding drinks and were rather bloodied up. His hair was messy and unkempt. There he was; Blake sitting at the bar, waving at them with far more enthusiasm than necessary. The real question was…why was he being so...jubilant?

"Well don't jus' stand thar, come 'ave a drink!" he shouted. Evelyn and Draco looked at one another with a look of sudden understanding.

"Um…I don't think so, I really-" started Evelyn, turning toward the door again. She heard the sound of footsteps on a wooden floor shortly before she found herself being steered toward the bar, Blake's right arm over her shoulders and Draco annoyed snarl at her right side.

"Oh, don't be such a prude. 'Ave a bit ta eat, at least. On me!" he slurred. Draco rolled his eyes.

(Is this what he's like drunk?) thought Draco (He should stay like this. They've nicotine patches, but have they made a Vodka one yet?)

"W-well alright…" stuttered Evelyn, sitting down at the bar table. Blake waved down the barkeep and told him to yell at the back for a breakfast plate. He then turned back to Evelyn, sipping on a drink of some sort as he did.

"You know, Blake, not that I don't appreciate this and all but…why are you being so nice?" asked Evelyn, refusing the strong smelling drink when he offered it.

"Well naw tha's na cool, man…er, girl; wha'ever. Can't I- hik- can't I get a friend a drink-"

"-food-"

"Right…food. C'mon, I've 'ad a rough nigh' and I want a friend to talk ta…zat so wrong?"

"I'm a friend now?" asked Evelyn skeptically as her food arrived. Draco sat down on the bar table, glaring at Blake through his scared eye.

"Ya always were," said Blake.

"Then why are you such an asshole?" asked Evelyn bluntly. Draco snorted through his scrambled eggs, quite proud of his friend.

"I unno…Jus-things…things are rough, ya know? Pop wasn't 'appy tha' I wadn't the first ta 'ave a Pokemon, not 'appy that I los' so many battles. Shit like tha'…"

Evelyn had a small moment of sympathy. There were moments when she completely forgot that Blake's father was the infamous Giovanni. Incidentally, the imprisonment of his father made very little difference in how he influenced Blake's life. His mother was dead, so that was one thing she had in common with him, but his father had hired nannies and caretakers for him, who gave Giovanni little "report cards" of sorts on how his son was doing. Blake was often times dragged off to go talk with his father, and he always returned behind on his school work but full-up on bad attitude. Hell, everyone else lived in normal tree homes. Blake lived in a tropical mansion near the Weather Institute, funded by Giovanni, no doubt as a "community service" effort to appeal to the court.

"Yeah, but is that any excuse to treat everyone like shit…including your Pokemon?" asked Evelyn, taking a sip of some water as she and Draco ate. Blake, eyes unfocused and lost, lost a good deal of his luster.

"C'mon naw…I didn't treat everybody like shit. Wha' 'bout Lisa?" he reasoned. Evelyn frowned.

"That's right…you were always oddly nice to her…why is that, exactly?" she asked. Blake gained some color to his face.

"Dunno…always thought she was kinda cute…" he confessed. Draco snorted.

(Too nice for you, dickwad.) thought Draco. Evelyn only shrugged it off; Lisa _was_ cute. Facts were facts, but she wasn't about to tell a drunk guy he was shit out of luck with a girl that was too sweet for him.

"Yeah, and are you still a jerk to your Pokemon?" she asked.

"No…" he mumbled. "I told all'a 'em I'm sorry…Elizabeth, Kain, Zizzi, ya should meet 'er by the way! Shiny, like Draco!"

Evelyn and Draco, both with forks in their mouths, glanced at one another in confusion over these names, but stayed quiet as he continued.

"Then I 'pologized to Tidus, Ripper, and Widow. Oh, and then-"

"Who the fuck are these people?!" shouted Evelyn, making Blake jump out of his drunken stupor for a little while. Draco smiled.

(Food or no food, she'll still a firecracker without sleep.) He thought to himself before taking a spoon full of scrambled eggs and pushed in front of Evelyn's face. She lost focus and ate it, letting Draco save Blake from her wrath, if only for the moment.

"W-well they're ma Pokemon!" said Blake.

"Yu 'amed 'em," asked Evelyn with a mouth full of eggs. Until that moment, she had been the only one in her class that named Pokemon.

"Ya. Um…Elizabeth my Nidoran, Kain the Ekans, Zizzi the Zubat, err…" said Blake, trying not to lose his train of thought, "Tidus the Tentacool, Ripper the Stunky, and Widow the Spinarak."

"Wait…that's six! You have a full party already?!" gasped Evelyn, nearly choking.

"Ya, so? Don't you?"

"…no…"

"Ha!" he laughed without tact.

(Aaaand there's the asshole again.) thought Draco. (Knew he'd show up eventually…)

"Guess it's a good thing you got that Shroomish, huh? Fuck, I'm getting sober- BARKEEP!" shouted Blake. The barkeep showed up and made him whatever drink he had been working on. Something on the rocks, that's all Evelyn knew. She wasn't exactly liquor savvy.

"By the by," said Evelyn, letting Draco eat the rest of the plate after some silent argument between them while the barkeep made Blake's drink. "I have a few questions for you."

"Shoot," said Blake.

(Gladly.) thought Draco.

"Well...One, why are you drinking when you're underage? Two, why are you drunk at all? Three…why are you drunk at…what is it now, nine in the morning?"

"Oh, that…"

"Yeah, that."

"Well…" sighed Blake. "I guess this goes back to the whole 'I have six Pokemon' thing. Dad wanted me to make some milestone before the rest of my class, so I got a full team before anyone else."

"And how did that work out for you?"

"I'm at a bar, aren't I?"

"Elaborate."

"Well…He yelled at me for wasting time in getting a badge and getting a team that wasn't full of ground type Pokemon…"

"Oh…so that's why you're here?"

"Pretty much. I've been here since…I think ten last night? Ya, tha' sounds right…"

"…and I suppose it doesn't bother you that drinking at any age under the adult age is illegal?"

"Pfffft!" Blake scoffed. Draco and Evelyn whipped spit off their faces, considering it was a rather messy raspberry/scoff.

"I take that as a 'no'…" mumbled Evelyn. Blake nodded.

"S'long as I say in 'ere, it's all good," he said as he paid the barkeep for the meal. Evelyn looked at her Pokegear for the time.

"Woah! It's almost noon!" she gasped, throwing her messenger bag back on and grabbing Draco. Blake frowned at her with hazy eyes.

"You in a 'urry like?" he asked.

"Yeah, kinda. Looking for someone in the market and it's crowded as hell out there on the pier."

"The pier? Tha's not the market! Go to the south west of Slateport. Tha's the market!"

"Oh? Well…damn. I've been looking in the wrong place this whole time…" grumbled Evelyn. Then she paused, standing next to Blake as he sat on the bar stool, and seemed to struggle with something mentally. Then she reached forward and pulled Blake into a hug. He froze, stiff and shocked, and gently patted her one the back before she pulled away.

"Be good, Blake," said Evelyn before turning and heading out the door and into the bight sunlight. Draco had closed his eyes for a moment and allowed himself to adjust, as did Evelyn, before they merged into the crowd and walked with them. When she finally reached the market area, the air was abuzz with shouting and arguments and general gossip and chit-chat. There were colorful stalls of fruit and other merchandise, all shaded by cloth canopies. Evelyn tried to make her way through the scattered and huddle groups of buyers, shaking off any merchants when they tried to reel her in like a Magikarp as she asked people if they knew a "Sly Scyther".

"Care for some Oran berries my dear?"  
"No thank you."  
"Would you like a nice Pokedoll, young lady?"  
"No…thank you."  
"Can I interest you in an herbal remedy for your Pokemon's condition?"  
"What condition!? Wha-no! Get away from me!"  
"How would you like-"  
"GRAA!"

Several people, including the random merchant, jumped back at the raspy roar from the little black Charmander. Evelyn gave him a surprised but impressed look and patted him on the head to calm him down. She was tired and grouchy but he was plain grouchy no matter how much sleep he got. She continued around, ignoring merchants now. There was no need to be polite and reply to them; they had to be used to being ignored often. Instead, she focused on her mission and asked anyone she could about the mysterious man she searched for.

"Excuse me, but do you know a man named 'Sly Scyther'?"  
"Sly-wha? Think your being funny?"  
"Pardon me, but do you know a man by the name of 'Sly Scyther'?"  
"I hope that's a nickname. All the same, no; I don't."  
"Do you know anyone named 'Sly Scyther'?"  
"That depends, are you eighteen?"

The man winked at her and Evelyn immediately turned around and headed in the opposite direction, skin crawling with creeps. A short distance away, however, a man in a lab coat blocked her path.

"Excuse me," she said, trying to get by, but he blocked her with an arm. She glared at him, but the man was smiling at her.

"Did you say Sly Scyther?" he asked.

"Yes…why?"

"He's not here today, but I think I have someone you can talk to instead, if you'll just follow me."

Evelyn and Draco swapped glances but obeyed and followed the man through the market and up the streets of Slateport. They came toward a very tall, large business looking building with revolving doors. Above it was a sign that read "Devon Corp.". They walked through and into a large lobby, footsteps echoing against the dark tiles. A woman behind the counter said a polite "Good morning, Mr. Barker" which the man in the lab coat returned with a smile and a nod. He led her to an elevator door and held it back for her, gesturing for her to get in. Evelyn had played along this whole time, but the look of the small elevator space had a sobering finality to it, and suspicion seeped in.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name, sir, or why you're helping me for that matter," she said with narrowed eyes. He only smiled behind his spectacles. He was a young man, which was probably why she was so suspicious of his intents with a thirteen year old girl. That or the awkward comments from the sailors and Draco's stiff and growling body made her paranoid. Either way, she wasn't climbing in an elevator with someone she didn't really know.

"My name is Gregory Barker, Miss. If I'm not mistaken, you are Evelyn Yew, yes?" he asked. Evelyn sub sequentially felt herself relax.

"Yes…I am, but how did you know that, Mr. Barker?" she asked. He waved to the elevator again, making it obvious her cooperation was necessary for an answer, but she crossed her arms and didn't move. He sighed.

"I'm on your side, young lady," he insisted.

"And which side would that be, exactly?"

"LORAO, naturally."

Evelyn felt her arms loosen and drop as she stared at him. He smiled and made a gesture to continue again, and she stepped forward into the elevator. He followed, allowing the door to close behind him. He reached forward toward the controls but veered off suddenly and peeled back some of the fabric that lined the interior of the elevator to reveal a small, golden button. He looked to her as he pushed it and the elevator began its assent.

"The golden button; it's hidden and it's the only way to the Boss's room. You should remember it," he said. They stood in silence for a while until the elevator came to a glass tunnel that overlooked the entire city.

"Woah…" she gasped. Draco made a similar, but far raspier sound and peeked his way out from under her arm and stepped forward on her bag. Mr. Barker gave the little black and red Charmander a curious look, raised eyebrow and all.

"Oh, and who is this hiding under there?" He asked. Evelyn looked down.

"This is my best friend, Draco. We go everywhere together." She clarified, now having her attention divided away from the view of the city as they shot higher and higher up the building. Eventually they disappeared from the glass and into a metal part of the elevator shortly before it stopped. The doors opened with a 'ping' sound and they were met with an elegant board room. In the center was a long, oak table, shiny and well polished. Leather chairs lined the sides and one large chair sat at the front.

An elderly man, well into his fifties or sixties, sat at the head, doing paperwork. He was sipping on what was obviously tea, judging by the steaming pot on the tray next to it. He looked up when they walked in and the door closed behind them. There was no other way into or out of the room; no obvious stairs or any other manner of entrance or exit. The man smiled. He wore a grey business suit and black tie, so very different from Mr. Barker's white lab coat ensemble. He had a few good wrinkles on his skin and thick, but not largely shaped square glasses along with thick eyebrows, a little moustache and beard, all well trimmed. He smiled widely at them and began to stand up as they came toward his end of the table, aided by a wooden cane in his right hand. The room was well lit; cast a shadow as they moved by the light that spilled in through the windows that aligned both the western and eastern walls on either side of them, each window the height of floor to ceiling.

"Oh my, dear…It's so good to finally see you again!" he cooed, first offering his hand to hers. She held hers out and he took it with both of his in a loving hold, patting the top of her hand. His skin was rough and warm with time and experience. Just as she was getting a good look at his eyes, squinting and beadle-like, and oddly shiny, he pulled her into a sudden hug, and she had no choice but to allow him to hold her and pat her back.

"Oh, when I last saw you, you were just a baby…" he sighed, "And you look so much like your mother."

"So I'm told…," she mumbled absentmindedly, "increasingly, as of late."

"Ah…" said the old man as he backed up a bit, hands still on Evelyn's shoulders. "I imagine you want to talk a bit. Please, sit down, sit down. Mr. Baker, you should stay as well, in case you have anything to say. I shall also need you to show her to her room when we are done, she seems quite tired."

"My room?" asked Evelyn, quite confused as she sat down to the sit just right of the old man's. "But…I was told to meet a Mr. Sly Scyther and that he would take me…somewhere special to my mother!"

"Oh yes, my dear, but I'm afraid that cannot happen yet," said the old man as he and Mr. Barker sat down, the ladder of the two across the table from Evelyn.

"W-what? Why not?" she asked devastated at the snag in the plans.

"Sly Scyther, a member of LORAO that works for me, is on a mission at the moment and won't be back for…well, an untold amount of time, but not soon," said the old man. "Oh, but I imagine you'd like to know what LORAO is, wouldn't you?"

"Please. Um…but- and I don't mean to be rude! But, who might you be, sir?" asked Evelyn tentatively.

"Oh-ho!" he laughed. "I'm so terribly sorry, child! I've lost my manners in my studies! I apologize, but I cannot give you my real name. I can, however, give you my alias. They call me, quite simply, 'Boss', as should you too, my dear."

"Yes sir. I suppose you know me."

"Yes, but not your charming friend here," said Boss, gesturing toward Draco, who had invited himself onto the table-top and sat lazily, leaning back on one hand and scratching his belly idly with the other, looking quite uninterested.

"Oh, this is Draco, sir. My best friend," said Evelyn, not bothering to correct Draco. It was simply his way, and this disinterest was better than his over-reactions to strangers.

"Ah, nice to meet you, Draco," said Boss, reaching forward with a hand. Draco jumped lightly, stopping in mid scratch to stare at the human man's hand. He looked uncertainly to Evelyn, the only human he knew to act this civilly toward him. She looked just as flabbergasted but looked pointedly between him and the hand. Draco took the hint and reached forward and shook it. Now the old man had his attention.

"Now…let's simply have you ask some questions, Miss Yew, and we'll fill anything in we think you should know," said Boss.

"And leave anything out you think I shouldn't, right?" asked Evelyn skeptically. Both men chuckled.

"She's catching on," said Mr. Barker to Boss, who nodded in agreement.

"Well now, missy; what would you like to know?"

"First of all, what is LORAO?"

"Good starter," said Mr. Barker. "LORAO is the organization started by the scattered and still loyal members of the Towers of Knowledge after several towers were conquered by the Onyx Tower; specifically the Opal and Granite Towers. It stands for League of Resistance Against Onyx."

"Isn't it traditional to not honor words like "of" in an acronym?" asked Evelyn.

"Yes," said Boss with a smile, "But that wouldn't work with the acronym, would it? Besides, a giant, underground organization against an evil corporation bent on taking over the world isn't particularly 'traditional' as far as the world outside of fairytales is concerned."

"Touché," said Evelyn. "So what does Sly Scyther have to do with all this; or my mother, for that matter?"

"Sly is one of our agents. His business is our business, and that's all I can say on that," said Boss. "And your mother…she was a great researcher, full of spunk. She dabbled in something dangerous, though…"

"Such as?"

"She researched what the true differences were between humans and Pokemon. She sought to prove what she believed, which was that the only difference between humans and Pokemon were their physical forms."

"So what did she find?"

"Trouble. Answers I don't have for you. She worked for us when the towers fell, and helped our team until she was captured by her own brother. Oh, I should have told you that. The leader of the Onyx Tower is-"

"A psychopath named Rexus who happens to be my long-lost uncle that my grandfather failed to mention. He has, might I add, a daughter who seems to be my cousin," filled in Evelyn, eyelids beginning to feel rather heavy and guts clenching with anxiety.

"Ah…I see you've met them. No doubt dealing in foul business, I imagine," mumbled Boss. At that moment, a loud 'ping' echoed in the room and the elevator door opened. Inside where several police officers, easily distinguished by their blue, white, and black uniforms. Two held the doors open while two more held a struggling boy in a dirty trench coat…

"Get yer hands offa me!" he shouted, struggling against their hold. His face was bruised and bloody, one eye almost swollen shut.

"Blake!" shouted Evelyn before she could stop herself, standing up swiftly. Boss placed a hand on her arm and she looked to him before slowly sitting down. Boss nodded his head toward the one officer merely standing there. The officer bowed politely.

"We found him, this time, fighting in the market place." He said.

"Blake, my boy…first we catch you breaking a phone in the Pokemon Center, and now this?" said Boss to Blake who panted through clenched teeth. He then looked to the officer. "Who was he fighting?"

"An officer-"

"Oh, now that won't do-"

"-we believe to be in the Onyx Tower."

"I beg your pardon? Really now?" asked Mr. Barker now. He looked to Blake. "Lad, why would you fight an officer?"

Blake was still seething, but spoke up, "I was lookin' fer Eve. Wondered if she found tha' guy she wanted. I asked a buncha people, but no one knew where she was, so I asked an officer. When I did…"

"Go on…"

"He 'n 'is partner asked me wha' I knew 'bout Eve. I said we were friends and they asked me to come with 'em. I didn't wanna, so I tried to leave, and they set thar Pokemon on me!"

"Ah- I see where the suspicion arises then. No officer of the law uses their Pokemon against a human, only other Pokemon. What then?"

"I set mine out. Then I attacked the officers, and then we jus'…fought, I 'spose," finished Blake. Mr. Barker looked to the officer in charge.

"And you? What happened when you showed up?"

"I heard a ruckus when I was patrolling with my squad. Stalls were being overturned, people pushed aside; a little difficult not to notice, you understand, sir," said the officer. "We went over and asked the two officers what happened. They claimed the boy stole and they were taking him down to the office. The boy said otherwise. We'd already had suspicions on several officers with shady performances, so I offered to take him myself. They tried to refuse, but I pulled rank on them. They seemed genuinely upset and headed off…"

"I see. It wouldn't be the first time someone 'disappeared' on these streets, had they made off with him. That's how these things stay quiet. Boss?" said Mr. Barker. "Shall I escort our young lad to the basement for a chat?"

"No, no…Blake, my boy!" shouted the Boss. "You were brought to us just yesterday, and I offered you a job here. You refused. Now you've heard all this talk of Onyx and suspicious guards, correct?"

Blake looked shifty at first, glancing around at all the faces, and then nodded.

"Then I'm no longer asking you, boy. I'm telling you. You've gotten into a world of trouble, young man, and not the same as your father," said Boss. Blake visibly stiffened. "Calm yourself, boy. We are an organization opposed to your father's sort of work, but on a grander scale. I want you to stay here, safe from the streets for the night. I'll speak with you later about a new offer I have for you. Sending you out would be a mistake; those officers you met were not officers of the law, as I'm sure you learned, and they're most likely still looking for you. Go now, stay safe, and I'll speak with you soon."

Blake stared at Boss for a moment, breath calming but hair still mussed up, clothes dirty, and face like bloody steak from a bad butcher. He nodded curtly, and Boss nodded to the head officer. The two holding the door released it and it began to close. Before it sealed shut, Blake's voice barely came through.

"…thank you…"

Evelyn watched as the door closed, then looked to Draco. He looked just as shocked as she felt, sitting on the oak table in the now dimming sunlight as the evening crawled on. She looked to Boss, who sighed and glanced to her.

"I knew Blake's father. Many in the business world did, whether they liked it or not. No matter…" he sighed.

"Sir…what are you going to do with Blake?" asked Evelyn.

"Offer him the chance to work as an agent for LORAO. He can refuse, but we might be forced to take drastic measures to ensure his silence, and I'll be sure to mention that. Perhaps the knowledge will…influence his decision."

(Scare the piss out him and make him join…) thought Draco (I like this fellow!)

"Well what…what do I do?" asked Evelyn now. Her eyes were burning, tingling from the need for sleep, and her eyelids were growing rebellious. "I have to wait for Sly Scyther, don't I?"

"I'm afraid so. In the meantime, you are welcome to stay here with us. I have a gift for you in the morning. Your mother's account still works here, and all her money is locked away in it. I just have to reactivate the card and you'll never have to worry about expenses ever again."

On any other day, that would have lifted Evelyn's spirits a great deal, but not this day. Maybe it was the light bodied feel sleep deprivation, or perhaps the nagging voice in the back of her head that would rather have her mother than her mother's money, but Evelyn wasn't very pleased at all. After a moment's thought, she knew why. Something was unsure. Something was amiss, in such a way that she knew something was worse than it seemed. Maybe it was the anti-climax of the evening, as opposed to the finality she expected when she thought of meeting Sly Scyther and being on her way to opening the damn chest in her bag.

"That's all well and good, sir, but…when might I expect Sly Scyther back?" asked Evelyn. Boss and Mr. Barker lost their smiles instantaneously.

"About that…" whispered Boss, but Mr. Barker waved a hand absently to him.

"I'll tell her, Boss," he said. "Evelyn…it could take a few days or maybe a few months-"

Evelyn's heart lifted and she suddenly felt very silly for thinking something dreadful was to come of this evening.

"-but I'll be honest with you. It will most likely take a year or two…"

Her stomach dropped, along with any other internal organ inside her that wasn't tied down, and several that were. Draco felt it to, that rush of fear. Years…they'd have to wait years after this sudden gush of information? They came all this way, promised a journey to set them on the track to learn of a mother Evelyn never knew, and now they had years to wait?

"I…but I…" muttered Evelyn, not even looking at the two men anymore. Her eyes darted here and there, looking for answers or condolences that didn't exist in that room or on that table. Boss glanced to Mr. Barker with a frown, and then looked back to Evelyn.

"Listen now; it's not all that bad! I promise!" he whispered, getting up now and grabbing his cane. He patted her on the back. "You have the freedom you disserve now. No running errands or any of that. Until the time is right, you can travel like every other child your age, without the burdens of what is to come. Please…please go and enjoy this time, because you may never get it again. Trust me; you'll never be this young again. I will call you when it is time and you can return then. Until then…travel with your Pokemon, be like any other trainer. You won't be someone searching for your mother's secrets, or the secrets of an organization you never asked to be part of…Be a normal trainer for a while. It seems disappointing now, but…

"Go out. Earn badges like the others, train your Pokemon like the others, and be free while you can. When this does start, there will be no turning back. This is a blessing, I promise you. I will call you when it is time, lass," said Boss, now hooking a wrinkled hand around her upper arm and lifting her feebly. Mr. Barker rushed around the table and took her from there. Evelyn felt oddly empty, like waking up from anesthesia. She was registering all the words and nodding in agreement, but they would toss there for a while before processing. Mr. Barker led her to the elevator door and down a few flights and into a hallway. He led her to a room. "B-47" she heard him say and hand her a card. She took it and swiped it on the doors handled. It beeped and clicked and Mr. Barker pushed it open. It was like any nice hotel room; standard but nice all the same.

"There's a menu on the table. Devon Corp. often has business here so long that people just live here, so feel free to order some food when you're ready…"

"Thank you," she said to him, and shut the door. Draco climbed up to her shoulder, trying to read her face, but it was far too blank to do so. She put her bag down near a chair and moved toward the bed, feet shuffling slightly. She plopped herself down near the bedside table and looked up at the little sliding window in front of her in time to see the last rays of sunshine before everything kicked in. Draco jumped down from her shoulder and next to her, one hand on her arm, the other in her lap as he looked to her, but she looked to the window.

Her teeth suddenly clenched and she grimaced and shook her head, eyes burning now with frustration. Years? Now she had years when just that morning she was so sure she had hours? What if there never was a call? What if she lugged around that damn chest and never found the ways to opening it? It was like being promised a million dollars you needed to fix your heart, but then told a while later you'd have to wait. She gasped and closed her eyes as a burning feeling clenched her chest. Draco got a brief glimpse of tears rolling down her cheeks before she hid her face in her hands, sobs muffled. She leaned back and rolled into a fetal position, Draco crawling over like a cat as she did. He slid down her side when she was settled on the bed and forced his way between her elbows and up her chest, resting his hands and head on her neck and collarbone. She shook with anger and disappointment no language could justify as she brought one hand to his back and the other to his head. They head one another as the room went dark.

Come morning, they'd eat. They'd stay for over a week before moving on and realizing that staying there wouldn't make time fly faster. It was true; this gave them a freedom they hadn't had before like other kids of their age. They would travel the region, earn badges, battle new opponents and make a few friends. It would be challenging, it would be fearful at times, but it made time fly faster than ever. Some Pokemon would evolve and odd tidbits about one another would be learned. Draco would discover his extreme dislike for human males as Evelyn grew, and Evelyn would discover her extreme dislike for…Grimers.

All in all, it would be a total of two years and eleven and a half months until the call came; the call that would pull them back to Slateport and back to reality from their trainer vacation. A call that would reach them…in the desert.

* * *

**Chapter End Notes**:

_If you read, please review!_

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_

Next Chapter:** The Call**

Word finally comes in almost three years later, but Evelyn and Draco are a bit lost. A run-in with an old flame happens upon them to lead them back to catch up with yet another old friend with some new responsibilities. All Evelyn wants, however, is get to Slateport and to Sly Scyther.


	7. The Call

Nearly three years have past and our duo has been wondering through the Hoenn region. Now comes the call, but when they find themselves lost in the desert, will they be able to make it out alive? If they can, there's a special prize waiting for them...

* * *

Chapter 7

**The Call**

* * *

"Draco, which pouch did you put the pocket knife in?" asked Evelyn as she fumbled with her messenger bag. They were camped on the rocky and barren wilderness located near the desert on route 111. The terrain was that of cacti, sand, weak little bushes, more sand, and the occasional rock formation such as the one she and Draco had set their tent up under. Well, not so much 'set up'. It was more like a dark, chilly cave, cooled by the den of dug-out sand. They'd hung the fabric of the tent over the narrow mouth of the little 'cave' and weighed down the end atop the rock with yet smaller rocks. All in all, it was a decent enough shelter, far cooler than the sun-whipped sands outside.

At the moment, Draco, Evelyn's best friend, stood atop the rock and was moving those that weighted down that end of the tent fabric. When the last one was moved, the fabric fell, jumping sand like tiny beads. The little black Charmander followed, hopping down onto the warm sand-covered fabric. He turned to Evelyn, who had shunned from the bright light that suddenly flooded the little den. She cringed and adjusted. When he was sure she could see, he spoke in his own way.

"Bottom right, same as always," he signed. Evelyn nodded and opened the pocket while Draco continued to fold the tent before rolling it up. Nearly three years had given him more than enough time to learn all the sign language he could. Evelyn, with the help of her mother's money, had been kind enough to buy more volumes of his sign language book, all paper-back so that they were small enough to carry with them and small enough for him to read on his own. Presently, Evelyn had taken the pocket knife and was using the bottle-opener part of it to open the last two drinks they had. Simple water, but that was the best in this heat. She lent against the coolness that was her shelter walls, rocky and chilly. Draco came to sit across from her in the little den.

"Here you go," said Evelyn, handing him some water.

"Thank you," Draco signed as he took the water gratefully. He couldn't sweat like she could. Oh, and she was, in a way only women could. Now sixteen, Draco had more problems with the way male humans acted toward Evelyn than ever. He couldn't blame them. He loved her more than they could fathom, but not for her looks. Not that he had a problem with them in the least; quite the opposite, actually. He disturbed himself whenever he thought of her in ways he shouldn't, particularly when he slept on her chest, something he'd done for years.

(Fucking female development…) Draco mentally grumbled, taking a sip of water. He looked at Evelyn. The heat didn't agree with her, so she had taken her skirt and shirt off, now clad in only black, mid-thigh length tights and a purple wife beater. She'd grown out of her clothes, but tended to buy the same kind, which was unfortunate for Draco since it showed off a good bit of her midriff and gave a glance of her cleavage. He remembered the days when she was damn near flat-chested. As she developed she gained soft curves and bigger…_accessories_, as he preferred to call them. Not enormous like some women (and Pokemon) they'd seen. If he gave them any kind of size, he'd say…grapefruit-sized.

(Damn it, why did I think of fruit? Now I'm hungry...) thought Draco. As if on cue, his stomach growled loud enough for both of them to hear. Evelyn raised an eyebrow.

"Hungry?" she laughed, but was abruptly interrupted when her own stomach echoed Draco's. She sighed, defeated, and searched through her bag, pulling out some dried fruit in plastic bags.

"This is the best we've got. Not to mention our last one. We'll have to stock up when we get back to town," mumbled Evelyn as she opened the bag, allowing Draco to take half. Her other Pokemon had already been fed and were cozy and cool inside their Pokeballs. It had been a long adventure thus far, and she was very proud of all of them. Most had evolved now, except for Draco and Alvaro, her Gastly. Issac the Wooper was now a Quagsire, and still as vacant as ever, though not nearly as energetic. In fact, the evolution seemed to calm him down too much. He was borderline narcoleptic. He also talked rather slow. Every time she sent him out, he always took a moment to announce himself. "Quuuaaaagsiiiiire!"

Then there was Richard the Shroomish, now a Breloom. He was still brave, but his evolution made him more confident than ever. He had a tendency to look at his enemy from under the cap on his head, ever since Evelyn let them all watch a movie involving ninjas. He took a liking to their behavior and had been copying it ever since. When he used things like Stun Spore, he threw a pod of it on the ground in front of his enemy and disappeared behind it as if it were a smokescreen. It was getting tiresome, constantly reminding him "Richard…you're not a ninja!" so Evelyn gave up and let him think whatever he wanted.

Honestly, Evelyn was just happy that they finally had arms.

She wasn't sure why Draco and Alvaro hadn't evolved, but she really didn't care. They got the job done, which was all that mattered. They'd certainly take any chance to prove their worth. The many battles Evelyn had since leaving Devon Corp had given her and all her team plenty of experience, in her opinion.

"We should get a move on soon," sighed Evelyn when she finished her water and placed the bottle in the bag. She crawled up the cool, sandy slope and to the mouth of the cave, squinting out into the sunlit desert. Draco did the same and laid down next to her, on his belly like she was on hers, arms folded to rest on their elbows. She sighed, fiddling with her Pokegear for a few moments before turning on her side, one hand on the side of her head and resting on one elbow.

"Guess we'll have to go back…" she mused, seeming disappointed. Draco couldn't refrain from rolling his eyes. If she'd bought enough supplies, this wouldn't be an issue. She had the money, thanks to her mother. Draco copied her position again. They were cramped in the passageway, merely inches apart. He could smell the dried pineapple on her breath.

"Too bad," she mumbled, more to herself than anyone else. Draco, having no words even if he could speak them, just reached forward and patted her on the cheek. She chuckled at his usual "There there, poor you" sarcastic gestures. She continued to smile at him, until they both realized he'd left his hand on her cheek. Draco retracted it, and returned her smile. As far as awkwardness went, they'd had their share in the past few years. This one wasn't the worst, but Evelyn was glad for the excuse to stay in that den a little while longer, illuminated only by Draco's blue-white tail flame. The same color that matched his eyes, she thought. For a moment, they just stared, and then-

BZZZZT!

"Woah!" gasped Evelyn, jumping up. Her head met with the ceiling of the den, hard rock thumping her head. She hissed and held her hands to her head for a moment, eyes watering. The sound came again, along with a vibration on her wrist. She brought her arms down and opened her Pokegear. It came in fuzzy, at first, the image shaking and sound crackling. She jumped up again, this time out the mouth of the den and into the hot sun. She pulled the antenna out and maneuvered it until the image focused and the sound cleared.

"Hello, kiddo!" greeted Boss. Evelyn broke out in a grin as Draco scurried and climbed his way up her tights and her shirt to stand cat-like on her shoulder.

"Oh, good! Draco as well. I'd thought as much," mused Boss.

"Boss, why are calling me? Is Sly Scyther back?" asked Evelyn in a breathy rush. He chuckled at her excitement.

"Yes, my dear, he's back and more than ready to take you to your next location," said the Boss. Evelyn felt that bit of hope bloom inside her and spread chills through her body. She knew she probably looked stupid grinning the way she was, but she didn't much care.

"I'll head back right now!" she declared. Boss nodded. "Thank you, thank you!"

"You're quite welcome, dear. Now you'd best get a move on." Boss stated. Evelyn nodded enthusiastically before shutting the Pokegear. She and Draco exchanged glances before he too broke into a grin and jumped down into her waiting arms for a tight and excited hug. Evelyn hurried into the little cave again and threw their equipment together before tossing her bag over her shoulder and bolting out the mouth of the cave. It was only after jogging a few yards that she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Wait…where are going, exactly?" she inquired, looked to Draco on her shoulder. He shrugged. Evelyn pulled her arm up and opened her Pokegear once more, now using the stylus to search through its options.

"Oh, there we are…" she mumbled as she pulled the antenna out. There was an odd looking map on the top screen that showed the elevation of the land and a single red dot that was their location, near the middle of the stretch of desert lands. The bottom screen had sets of numbers, like latitude and longitude, along with current position and destination. Evelyn put in "Slateport City" and waited while it calculated.

"Oh…Damn, we're a ways away," she groaned when it finished. It showed a path leading through official routes and roads along with the total distance away they were and the calculated time it would take to get there; a week. Draco sighed and slid down her arm and onto the messenger bag, where he sat and pouted, arms crossed. Evelyn was still transfixed on the Poke'GPS system's controls.

"I wonder…" she mused. She opened the controls and fiddled with the settings. Draco was eyeing her suspiciously.

"That's much better!" she exclaimed a moment later. Draco got up and tugged on her wife beater. She lowered her arm to show him. "See? I changed it to 'fastest travel time' along with 'any routes and/or paths' instead of just official ones. It says we could get there in about two days!"

Draco's left eye was twitching. The path led right through the desert! He began to protest, tugging on her shirt and the straps of the bag, but Evelyn brushed it off.

"Hey, we've rushed through this place before! The path is different, but the distance is about the same." she tried to reason before setting off into the rolling sands. Draco groaned in exasperation and slid down her side and into a sitting position on the bag again.

(Damn it, woman…Your impatience is going to kill us!) brooded Draco. (No water, no food, and no common sense; we're screwed if we don't make it out of here…)

For half an hour, however, everything seemed fine. The sun was crawling its way across the sky at its own tempo and Evelyn kept her walking brisk and steady, humming a bit as she went. Draco was just glad she was upbeat, and certainly relieved at the good news, but something was still bothering him. It was something aside from the lack of food and water. It was a kind of anxiety that was building up inside him.

"Aw, nuts…" murmured Evelyn, tapping on her Pokegear. It was getting some static now and again. She sighed and looked around. She could see nothing but sand, sand, sand, some rocks, sands, cacti, and more sand. They had been walking for a while now and it was nearing noon. The sun was punishing her rash actions with no mercy. Her mouth was dry and Draco was panting.

"We've gotta find some water…" concluded Evelyn, and she made for a small patch of cacti and cut some of its sections off. She scraped the needles off and opened one. It didn't contain much, but it was still something. She gave one half to Draco and they sipped at it. They'd done this before on the official desert routes when they were out of supplies, and it always sustained them through the journey.

Now a little satisfied, Evelyn set off again. They didn't make it very far. Soon enough, the static was increasing on the Pokegear and their thirst was rearing its ugly head again. Evelyn stopped walking and looked around. The land was flat now, cracked and chapped with patches of sand here and there. Everything beyond them disappeared behind a wavy, distorting wall of heat in the distance. Evelyn was sweating, but not nearly enough, and Draco's panting was faster than ever.

(I hate the sun, I hate the sun, I hate the sun, I hate-) chanted Draco mentally. He, like Evelyn, was scanning their surroundings for any sign of either life or shade, or water. His gaze flew back and forth, but saw nothing but the blurry heat. Something tall caught his eye though, and he squinted. Evelyn heard him gasp before she felt his tugging. She frowned down to him. He was pointing and staring in one direction, so Evelyn followed his gaze and heaved a sigh of relief.

"An oasis!" she cried and took off at a jog. There was a tall palm tree figure thrown into the setting, hanging just over a pool of sparking water. As she came closer, though, Evelyn and Draco felt that drop of disappointment as it began to fade. By the time they reached it, it was obvious they had fallen for a mirage. There was a tall, wide, and curved rock jutting out of the ground at an angle, and a shallow crater in the ground underneath it, seeming more cracked and dry than anything else on this plane. Evelyn, panting like Draco now, dropped to her knees in the crater, the thin plates of dry dirt breaking under her. She groaned and shook her head.

"Gran was right," she mused, "We have too much in common…including hallucinations."

She looked to her side for Draco, but he wasn't there. Evelyn went through a moment of sudden panic, looking around for him, but relaxed when she saw him a few feet away, sitting in the shade of the rock. He looked terrible.

"I'm so sorry, Drake…" whispered Evelyn as she crawled over to him, sitting down next to him against the rock. The sand wasn't really that cool and neither was the rock, and without any air moving, their desert atmosphere was nothing more than a large, dusty oven. "You were right, as usual. I should have gone the normal route. Or at least get supplies first."

Draco reached over and patted her on the thigh. He didn't even have the energy to look at her; he was just starring off into the distance. This wasn't the first time they'd been in a tight position, and not likely their last either. Evelyn patted his hand back before she turned her attention to her GPS.

"There's got to be a quick way out of here and to a Pokemon Center. Ugh, static _again_…? Wait...it's not going away," grumbled Evelyn, quite annoyed. The screen flickered and distorted and static fuzz began to accumulate. She was so peeved by this that Evelyn didn't even notice the sudden, pleasant breeze that came wafting through. Draco had closed his eyes to rest, but when he felt that cold air and the scent it carried, they snapped open. He jumped up and took a few steps away from Evelyn, glaring at the blurry horizon.

"Draco? What? What is it?" asked Evelyn. The wind picked up a little more, now at a constant flow. Bits of sand were starting to sprinkle across the ground. Suddenly Evelyn's Pokegear signal cut off completely, giving off that harsh sound of static while the screen was filled with the dancing white and black specks. No sooner had this happened than a dark shadow began to come through the hazy atmosphere in the distance. It started out dull and small, but quickly grew, spanning the entire length of the horizon. Before either of them knew it, they were staring at a gigantic wall of tan, swirling sand a few miles away, like a massive sand-tidal wave. It was so tall that the sun was blocked from their view and they were plunged into shadow.

"Shit-" Evelyn cursed, standing up quickly. She dove into her bag and threw a pair of goggles to Draco, and put on a pair for herself. She remembered when she first got these goggles. It was the first time she was going to travel in the desert and she'd gotten them from some kid in the Pokecenter as a gift for winning a battle.

"So they're for traveling in the desert, right?" she had asked the boy. He nodded. "Ah…what exactly do they do?"

"Nothing." The boy had said simply.

"Excuse me?"

"The goggles…they do nothing." The kid had replied before he turned around and headed off. Evelyn wasn't sure if this was supposed to be funny, but she used them anyway. At least they kept sand out of her eyes. Presently, however, that was the least of her worries. The storm was heading toward them quickly, the flurry of wind and sand kicking up the air's movement another notch. They'd never encountered one of that size before. Evelyn had heard enough stories of Pokemon and people being buried alive to make her act fast.

"Issac," she hissed, reaching back and pulling out the Pokeball. She opened it and Issac the Quagsire popped out.

"Quuuuaaaaags-"

"Not now!" Evelyn snapped. She grabbed his head and turned it in the direction of the oncoming sandstorm. Issac brought a forefin up to his mouth in thought as he stared. He was quiet for a moment, just staring and blinking a few times, before Evelyn shook him at the shoulders.

"Sandstorm, Issac! I need you to use Dig under this rock, quickly! As fast and as far as you can!"

Slow as he was, Issac gave Evelyn a good salute before tunneling at an angle under the rock. The wall of sand was coming up fast, rumbling like a freight train. Evelyn grabbed her bag and snatched up Draco before she jumped down into the nearly-vertical hole dug by Issac. She came to a sliding halt toward the bottom and hunkered down with them. Up top they were protected by the rock as sand flew overhead. She threw the goggles back into her bag. She thanked Issac and returned him before curling up with Draco to wait through the storm.

Over an hour flew by before the wind above came to a stop. Evelyn looked up and could see a sliver of blue sky next to the shadow of their rock. She placed Draco on her back and began her climb back up. Their tunnel was angled, but terribly steep, and she slid down a few times before she finally reached the top, grasping onto sand and dirt desperately to prevent herself from falling again. Draco jumped off of her and onto the ground above before he took one of her hands and tugged. Evelyn couldn't help but grin; he wasn't really helping, but he was trying.

"Ugh…at least we're cooled off," reasoned Evelyn as she pulled herself out and stood up, dusting cold sand and dirt off of clothes. Draco hoisted himself up onto her bag once more and Evelyn opened her Pokegear.

"Oh, thank goodness," she sighed in relief. "A signal…Stupid storm must have been blocking it before..."

She was tinkering with the GPS some more as she stood under the shade of the rock. Draco was just happy that they were cooled off. Not so happy than it was now past noon and the sun was bearing down on everything around them that was outside of their cozy little rock-shadow.

(It's gotta be as hot as Magmar balls out there…) Draco thought inwardly. In the silence of the desert, a low rumbling sound disturbed the air, and for once, it wasn't Draco's stomach.

(What is that?) he wondered. Evelyn wasn't paying attention, but Draco was standing on her bag and trying to focus on something in the distance. It was diagonal to them, a long ways away, but still in sight. The rumbling was growing louder, if not faint by distance, and a dark, blurry figure was rushing across the desert plane with good speed, kicking up a cloud of sand as it went. For once, Draco didn't have to tug on Evelyn's clothes to get her attention. The harsh rumbling forced her to take notice, and she too saw the figure.

"Hey…hey, that could be another human!" she exclaimed. She looked around quickly for any way to get their attention. Draco had no warning before Evelyn scooped him up and ran to the back of the rock. It too was steep, but that didn't stop her. She threw her shoes and socks off, her bare feet giving her far more traction, before she climbed up the rock. It had to be almost two stories high, and as they reached the peak of it, rough and almost flat from years of erosion, Evelyn placed Draco on her shoulder.

"Use your fire!" she panted. "Set a stream into the air, and I'll shout as loud as I can. Maybe we can get their attention!"

Draco nodded and threw his head back. With a sharp inhale and a smooth exhale came a stream of blue and white fire. He blew it as high as he could, and kept each stream going for as long as his breath would allow. Evelyn brought her hands to her mouth, cupping them to increase volume, and started to shout.

"HEY! HEY! WE NEED HELP!" she shouted. "WE NEED HELP, OVER HERE!! CAN YOU HEAR ME! HELP!"

It took nearly a full minute of this before the blurry blob slowed to a stop, and the rumbling ceased.

"Draco, don't stop, I think they noticed!" Evelyn panted. Draco started up with more fire. He was nearly out of breath, but so was Evelyn. "HEY! OVER HERE!"

The rumbling kicked on again and the blob began to move, but this time, it was moving toward them, the cloud of sand and dust behind it. Evelyn sighed in relief. Draco stopped and nearly passed out from lack of breath. Evelyn waved her arms to reassure their position as the warped figure drew closer and closer. Its outline was starting to become more clear…some kind of machine. For a brief and horrifying moment, Evelyn stopped waving her arms and Draco stopped catching his breath. They both thought the same thing they should have thought before. What if this wasn't a friendly person?

(Fuck, I'm getting as impatient as Evelyn now…) thought Draco with a growl. He had always prided himself on being the more mature one. Evelyn smiled suddenly and continued to wave her arms. Draco looked to see why; the figure was increasingly clear now. It was a motorcycle! One with a passenger cart on the side. It came closer still until they could see a man driving it and a Pokemon in the passenger cart.

"Thank you!" shouted Evelyn over the roar of the motorcycle as it came to a stop just a few yards away from the rock they still stood on. The man on the motorcycle didn't say anything; just cut the engine. Oddly enough, they couldn't see his face behind his tinted helmet.

"Um…s-sorry to bother you like this," said Evelyn, a little unsettled by the stranger's silence. "But could you possibly give us a ride to the nearest town, please?"

The driver didn't say a word yet, but leaned forward, as if he were trying to get a good look at them. The Pokemon in the passenger cart, a Monferno, was sitting back with his hands behind his head, quite relaxed and quite uninterested. Evelyn shifted on her feet nervously under the stranger's scrutiny. Draco was about two seconds from throwing a fire ball at them when the man reached up and took his helmet off.

"I'm sorry. For a minute, I wasn't sure it was really you. Man, you've…changed," said the man, or rather, young man. He was very tan with chiseled features, including a well-shaped jaw. His hair was dry-looking and a bit unkempt. It was dull black and long, shoulder length perhaps, and held back it some sort of rat-tail/ponytail mix. He was dressed in only an off-white wife beater, a brown leather vest over that. Evelyn could make out dark green cargo-pants. His smile, though, gave him away; friendly and genuine.

"Mark?!" shouted Evelyn, breaking into a grin. She hadn't seen or spoken to him since they left home. She moved to the edge of the rock and slid down with ease, Draco still riding her shoulder. Mark chuckled as he got off the bike, leaving his helmet on the seat. Evelyn touched ground and Draco leapt off her shoulder and onto the sand. She scurried up and over to Mark before meeting him halfway and into a hug. He spun her around once, and she couldn't help the surprised squeak that escaped her. When he put her down, she took a step back and gave him a once over, as he did to her.

"Wow, you've changed, Mark!" complimented Evelyn. He certainly had. Of all her classmates, he was her favorite, and not because he was handsome, but because he was honest and friendly. He'd developed before the other boys, growing tall and broad shouldered. He was still that way, but more-so. He was…a human fortress, in her opinion. His lack of sleeves showed off muscles she'd never seen on him before. She experimentally reached forward and took one of his forearms into her hands, which the giant teddy bear that was Mark simply let her do. Her fingers and thumbs weren't anywhere near touching, his arms were so developed.

"Geeze, what have you been doing; throwing mountains and taming boulders?" she laughed.

"A little from column A, a little from column B," Mark sighed in boredom, jokingly. Evelyn found her neck was getting a bit upset with her since she was forced to look up at him.

"Legends…how tall are you now?" she asked. Mark seemed to think on it for a moment.

"About 6'3"?" he wondered. Evelyn wasn't surprised. "Now, did you say you needed a ride?"

"Oh, Legends, yes!" sighed Evelyn in defeat. "I don't have any supplies and I wanted to make it to Slateport by tomorrow, but that's not happening. Can you take me to the nearest city so I can stock up and try again?"

"No," he said bluntly, and then laughed at Evelyn and Draco's shocked and gaping looks. "I can give you some supplies now and just take you to Slateport myself! Well, close to it, anyway."

"How close?" asked Evelyn, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Mauville. I'm going to visit Lisa," he said. "Now you should probably put your shoes back on…"

"Oh…oh, right…" laughed Evelyn a little nervously. She put them on in a hurry, grabbed her bag, and stood by the bike. Mark was already at the front, waiting and holding his helmet to her.

"You ride behind me, Draco can go in the passenger cart with my Monferno," he said, not leaving room for discussion. Draco hopped into the cart, sitting across from the Monferno, who opened one eye to look at him, then closed it again. Draco liked this guy; he was quiet. Evelyn put the helmet on and climbed in behind Mark. She put her hands at his sides at first, but he reached around to grab her wrists and pulled her arms around his waist.

"You're going to want to hold on tighter than that," he shouted back to her when he started the bike up. She had no time to reply before he took his foot off the clutch and off they went. She held on tight, glad her eyes were protected by the helmet's front. The wind was whipping past them, and the loud roaring of the motorcycle's engine wasn't nearly as bad when it was in motion. They flew across the dry dirt and sand and away from the rock, which disappeared behind the cloud of dust left in their wake. Draco was enjoying the breeze it created, and sat back like Monferno, arms behind his head and eyes shut.

Evelyn was just getting used to the mixture of scents, including sand, air, and the odd but nice smell of Mark, when they came toward the edge of the desert. They veered off onto a marked route slowing their speed a bit out of courtesy to those walking the route. The environment began to change as life and water were returning to the land. Grass slowly appeared and thickened, right along with trees and such, as they sped down road. Pretty soon, there was no evidence of the desert a few miles back. Nothing but lush vegetation and that's the way Evelyn liked it. Maybe an hour passed before civilization rose up on the horizon.

"Alright, there it is!" shouted Mark. They made their way into Mauville, turning down the main road and out just west of the main part of the city. A little country house came up on their right, and Mark slowed to a stop before he cut the engine. Evelyn took her helmet off and handed to Mark. They got off the bike, Draco following them as he climbed onto Evelyn's bag. The yard next to the house was filled with Pokemon, just as it was in the old days. Mark, being quite the gentleman, opened the picket fence gate and held it for her. They made their way up the cobblestone path to the house, before knocking.

"Just a moment!" came a sweet, sing-song voice, and Evelyn smiled. Lisa.

The door opened and she stood before them, distracted by the little Pokemon fumbling around in her arms. She was still shorter than Evelyn by a few inches and her sense of fashion hadn't changed much. She had on a little white dress that went to her knees, held up by a few spaghetti straps. She had on white sandals with similarly thin straps, but elegantly designed. She had a powder pink waist-apron on that had a few pockets at the top, all of them filled with an assortment of caretaking tools like treats and toys and brushes. She finally got the Pokemon in her arms to hold still before she looked at her guests, same chocolate eyes as always.

"Oh! Evelyn! I wasn't expecting you!" she gasped, breaking into a grin. "My, you've grow too. Come in, come in! Let me put this Happiny down so I can give you a proper hug!"

Evelyn and Draco exchanged glances and smiled before they followed Lisa in, Mark right behind them. She led them into a living room, cozy and cool with the windows open to meet the breeze. She put the little pink and white Pokemon down into a playpen full of other small Pokemon. Then she turned around and practically ambushed Evelyn into a hug.

"Oh, it's good to see you!" she gushed when she released Evelyn. Sure, they talked on the phone any chance they got, but it really didn't hold a candle to the real thing. She hugged Mark next before ushering them to sit on the couch across from her.

"Wow…I knew Mark was coming by, but you're a pleasant surprise, Evelyn!" sighed Lisa. She'd grown in a similar way, Draco noted. Curves, nice complexion, though rosier than Evelyns, and developed breast, though considerably more humble than Evelyn's. A Bunery came hopping into the room and scratched at Lisa's leg. She reached down and picked it up, stroking it fondly. Evelyn smiled at her gentle friend; she was just happy to be there and talk with her again. They hadn't had a talk in months, nearly a year. Calls had become few and far between until they just stopped both of them too busy in their own lives to bother. Next to Evelyn, Draco was frowning and looking around, sniffing, and listening. He nudged Evelyn.

"Where is the other human?" he signed. Lisa and Mark were watching intently at the action.

"Wow, he's really gotten good at that. What did he say?" asked Mark.

"He wants to know, and so do I, where Maria is." Translated Evelyn.

"Oh," said Lisa, "I guess it's been a while. Well, Maria got married to that guy I told you about a while back, Anthony. Remember, he was part of the crew that came to fix her fence."

"Oh yeah, I remember. You said he stuck around after that and helped out a lot," recalled Evelyn. "They got married?!"

"Yes, a few months back. It was kinda sad…" sighed Lisa. Evelyn gave her a confused look, so she elaborated. "Well, Anthony took her to Snowpoint City in the Sinnoh Region. It was his home and he always talked about how pretty it is. Maria met Anthony's father, told me he was happy to meet her, and three days later…he was dead."

"What?" gasped Evelyn, "What happened?"

"Avalanche trapped him. Died of hypothermia, I think. It was weird because Anthony always said his father was the best of the best in the mountains. Anyway, all of Anthony's family had been guardians of some temple or something up there and since Anthony was the next in line…"

"They had to stay there," finished Mark. Evelyn wondered if he knew Maria too.

"Yep," confirmed Lisa, "And Maria sold her business to me…"

"She gave up caretaking?!" exclaimed Evelyn

"Yeah. She said she might start a business in Snowpoint, but not for a while. She's settling down with her new hubby, as she puts it."

A moment a silence, quite appropriate at the time, passed between the friends. Evelyn was shocked Maria gave up her business. Mark was shocked she gave up caretaking. Lisa was shocked that Maria gave her the business. Draco was shocked it took her so long to land a man.

"Well, anyway, on to business," said Lisa as she stood up. She headed toward the kitchen, Evelyn, Draco, and Mark behind her, and went out into the yard. Once there, she turned to a flat bed of sand with various fire Pokemon in it. She bent down, hands on her thighs, and spoke to a sleepy looking Magmar.

"Can you get me that yellow egg that got left behind, please?" she asked politely. Magmar nodded and stood up. He turned around to the indent in the sand where he had been sitting and began to dig. He only dug a foot or so in before he stood up again and turned to them. He was holding a Pokemon egg, one that was yellow with black, triangular markings. He handed it to Lisa, who took it carefully and handed it to Mark.

"So this is the egg?" asked Mark.

"Yep. I promised you I had Pokemon eggs. I have a few more, but I feel like this one suites you." Said Lisa.

"How do you know?" asked Mark.

"No idea. I don't even know what's in it, but I just…_feel_ like it should be yours, you know?" Said Lisa. She turned and glanced to Evelyn, then frowned.

"Evelyn…I think I have one for you too, if you want one." She said. Evelyn stood up straight abruptly, as if caught not paying attention in class.

"What?" she squeaked.

"Do you think you could handle an egg?" asked Lisa. Evelyn thought a moment, and then looked to Draco, who nodded eagerly up at her, so she nodded to Lisa.

Lisa ushered them to the far side of the yard. There they were met with a large Kangaskhan, fast asleep under a shady tree.

"Oh…I-I don't need an egg…" backpedaled Evelyn, retreating a few steps.

"Oh, don't worry. She sleeps all the time; she won't mind," Lisa said dismissively. She reached forward and pushed on the Kangaskhan's arm. It peaked through one of its eyes at her.

"Hi. Do you still have that one egg? You know, the one that doesn't react to fire," asked Lisa. The Kangaskhan grumbled and reached into her pouch and extracted an egg. It was light green with black, triangular markings on it. Lisa took it.

"Thank you," she said. The Kangaskhan grunted before it went back to snoring. Lisa turned to Evelyn and held out the egg. Evelyn took it carefully. She felt something in it move.

"Woah, it moved!" she gasped, holding it closer. Draco scurried up her side and onto her shoulder to look at the egg. She held it to him and he all but glomped the egg, listening to it. A smile spread on his face.

"Really?" said Lisa, "That proves it."

"Proves what?" asked Evelyn.

"This egg is really weird. It didn't react at all to the fire types like normal eggs do. Instead, it reacts to skin-on-egg contact with humans and normal type Pokemon. I've tested it with everything, but the only human I could test it on was myself. If it reacts to you, then I'm certain it reacts to skin contact."

"That's terrible," commented Mark. They all looked at him, frowning. "I just mean, my egg will be easy; keep it warm and keep doing what I'm doing. I've got Monferno for that, as apathetic as he is, but what is Evelyn supposed to do? Carry it around in a pouch like Kangaskahn?"

"Yes," said Lisa, matter-of-factly. Evelyn and Mark stared at her. Draco was too busy hugging the egg to care. As long as it was touching Evelyn, it moved every once and a while.

"Follow me…" said Lisa, ushering them back to the house. They entered the kitchen and she told them to wait before disappearing into the hallway. When she returned, she was carrying black fabric of some kind. It looked a little like a back-brace to Evelyn.

"Hold still, Eve, kay?" she requested before she maneuvered Evelyn's arms how she wanted them. Draco had long since crawled onto the kitchen counter, egg held in front of him. Lisa lifted Evelyn's arms up, and Evelyn kept them there. She flinched back when Lisa lifted her shirt and wife-beater up.

"Hey!" she snapped. Lisa glanced up to her with a stern look. She stopped at around the base of Evelyn's breast, thankfully. Mark had the tact to look the other way. Draco didn't. Lisa took the odd garment she had and put it on Evelyn. It took up her entire waist, bottom of her ribs right to above her hip bones. It was smooth and soft, thankfully, and it was held by Velcro in the back. Lisa moved over and grabbed the egg from Draco and put it in the front before standing back.

Evelyn looked down to see what it looked like, and she felt her eye twitch. "Lisa, this looks like an empathy belly!"

"I made it myself. I got the idea from those empathy bellies and an old back-brace I had. I just sewed it so there was extra fabric at the front to make a pouch. It's the only way to keep it against your skin as much as possible as often as possible."

By this point, Mark had turned around, and seemed just as worried as Evelyn.

"Lisa, that's brilliant and all…but you do realize what that makes her look like, right?" he tried to reason. Lisa rolled her eyes.

"I tucked her shirts behind the top of the egg, which shows above the pouch, so people will know!" she tried to explain. Evelyn was just standing there, face in her hands, utterly mortified. Draco was speechless, not that he had much of a choice.

"Lisa, this is nice and all bu-" Evelyn began, but stopped when the egg moved. It moved more firmly than it had when she was only touching it with her hand. She felt a small vibration that quirked up and died away a few times before stopping.

"I…I think that was a noise…It made a sound!" she gasped, touching the top of the egg. She looked up at Lisa, who was smiling with triumph. Evelyn sighed.

"I still don't want to wear this thing. I must look ridiculous." She grumbled. Lisa came to her side and patted her on the back.

"This egg won't last without skin contact, and it's obviously close to hatching. You won't have to wear it for long…" she explained. Evelyn glared sidelong at her, but then gave a defeated sigh.

"Fine…why do I feel used?" she groaned. Lisa laughed.

"Look on the bright side," said Mark. "If it's a rare kind of egg condition, maybe it's a rare kind of Pokemon!"

"Good point," mused Evelyn. A grumbling sound was suddenly heard.

"Was that the egg again?" asked Lisa. Evelyn shook her head, and then looked to Draco. He was leaning back on one hand on the kitchen counter, the other hand scratching his belly.

"Oh, Draco, are you hungry?" asked Evelyn. Another growl of his stomached answered for him. Lisa clapped her hands together, looking delighted.

"Then I suppose it's time for supper, now isn't it? It's getting late," she announced. "Will you two be spending the night? It'll be dark out by the time we're done eating."

"If you don't mind," answered Mark. Evelyn glanced to Draco, who was now lying spread-eagle on his back on the counter.

"I think that answers that," she said. Lisa seemed more than pleased and hurried to busy herself in the kitchen. Evelyn and Mark insisted on helping. Draco was too tired to do much else but snore. The entire time Evelyn was moving about the little kitchen, she felt so off with the egg-pouch on. Maybe this is what pregnant women felt like, aside from the constant bladder use and morning sickness. She hoped dearly that this egg would hatch soon.

* * *

**Chapter End Notes:**

_Yaaaay! All that jazz. Wish I had more to say, but I don't._

__  
_

Next Chapter:**The Marble Tower**

Sly is finally around to tell them where he's taking them; the Marble Tower. A place of worship and peace with the Legends. It holds the first key to unlocking the chest, but there's someone very familiar in the way...


	8. The Marble Tower

Our pair find themselves going back to Slateport with new gifts and knew enthusiasm. They meet an old friend who guides them to Sly Scyther, who in turn guides them to a hidden island of legends...

* * *

Chapter 8

**The Marble Tower**

* * *

The morning came and breakfast was made. Draco had to take a moment to reflect on the fact that they hadn't had a breakfast this peaceful in years. He sat on the table and ate off his own plate, Evelyn sitting in a chair next to him. Mark and Lisa were there but only after feeding lots of baby Pokemon. Hell, even Evelyn was helping with that. At the moment she was spoon feeding an energetic little Happiny in a highchair. This was pretty good practice, Draco thought, for when the egg finally hatches. Until then, he'd have to get used to seeing Evelyn in her egg pouch, something that really didn't bother him in the least but obviously bothered Evelyn.

The breakfast was filled with pointless chatting-

"Evelyn, what happened to the bike Maria gave you?"  
"It's…gone."  
"Gone? Gone how?!"  
"I don't want to talk about it…"  
"Yeah, but-"  
"Look, long story short, I ran into some kid with a stupid hat and a Pikachu and now it's destroyed. No more bike questions!"

"Good breakfast, Lisa!" complimented Mark, sitting back in his chair, quite satisfied. Draco belched loudly to state a similar opinion on the food and Lisa giggled. The Happiny laughed and wiggled around in its chair, enjoying the mushy berry-paste that was its breakfast.

"I agree with them," said Evelyn as the last spoonful of food founds its way into the Happiny's mouth. "The food was delicious! You seem really gifted with Pokemon food too, what's your secret?"

"Well now," replied Lisa, "It wouldn't be much of a secret if I told you. I do have a berry garden in the back, so my supplies are good and fresh. Every once and a while Blake drops by with a berry I don't have, usually something really rare."

Lisa was lost in thought as she said that, and Evelyn and Draco exchanged glances. Mark had an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"Blake drops by often then?" he asked. Lisa jumped out of her thoughts and a light shade of pink spread across her cheeks.

"Yeah…sometimes…" she answered cryptically.

"Sometimes? What does that mean?" asked Mark.

"It means he drops by to see me sometimes!" huffed Lisa.

"Isn't Blake a detective now? Maybe he's on an undercover mission!"

"Oh…I certainly hope not…That would make everything seem like a lie."

"A lie? It would explain how he travels around and gets so many berries."

"Wh- Oh! You meant the berries, right…"

Lisa was now in the running to beat a tomato in a red-pigment competition she was blushing so much. Evelyn wasn't about to push it as far as Mark might, but she was a little curious about how often Blake dropped by the Daycare. Still, she had the good grace to stop the nonsense.

"Anyway!" interrupted Evelyn as Mark opened his mouth again, no doubt to interrogate Lisa further. "I do need to head out soon, Lisa. I'd love to stay, but I have things to do, you know?"

"Oh, that's quite alright!" said Lisa, relieved that the questions were over. Evelyn got up and started to collect her plate and silverware, but Draco snatched them up and started to collect it instead. His, hers, Lisa's, and then Marks, so that by the time he came around the circular table, he was holding a good stack of plates with silverware on top above his head. He lifted it toward Evelyn, grunting at the weight of the plates, his knees shaking a little. Evelyn couldn't help but smile at her friend. She was beginning to think he had a Napoleon complex; he would do things just to show that, despite his size, he was still strong.

(Oh, thank Legends,) thought Draco when Evelyn finally took the plates he was holding. He'd never admit it, but it was almost too heavy for him. (I thought I'd die in a fine china related accident for a sec. Ugh…)

Still, he thought, it was nice to show his strength sometimes. He loved the smile it put on Evelyn's face when he did. Draco hopped down to Evelyn's seat and then to the floor.

"Draco, can you go check on the others, see if they're done?" asked Evelyn. Draco grunted his reply and headed for the little Pokemon door on the kitchen door that led to the grounds outside. The door wasn't like a doggy door, though it was technically a smaller door built into a bigger one. He turned the handle and opened it, being sure to close it again as he stepped onto the warm patio.

(After the desert, I never thought I'd missed the sunlight.) he thought with an inward sigh, enjoying the morning rays. A throat cleared near him and he looked to the right. Sitting under the gazebo that branched off the concrete patio were his other friends, Issac, Richard, and Alvaro.

"Are we leaving yet?" asked Alvaro. Draco liked the Gastly, he really did, but his voice always sent shivers up his spine. Humans couldn't hear it, but Pokemon obviously could. He had the kind of voice that sounded like three Alvaro's of varying volumes were talking at the same time. On top of it, his voice sounded carried away, like an echo in a gigantic, airy cavern. Draco just nodded his reply. Richard snorted. The Breloom was sitting with his back against a post, arms folded and his head down, hidden under his cap.

"Finally," he mumbled as he stood up slowly, "Most of the Pokemon out here are very young, and rather annoying. Nice, but _annoying_. I wish there was room inside so we could sit with Evelyn too. Why were _you_ the one chosen to sit with the humans?"

(Because I'm cooler than you, mushroom-boy…) thought Draco bitterly, but outwardly he only shrugged. He didn't much like Richard, though they got along in battle. Richard was the kind of Pokemon that was prideful in a way that stunted his fighting. If he spent a great deal less time boasting and more time actually landing hits, that Wigglytuff a week back wouldn't have landed a bitch-slap across his face in the middle of one of his monologues. Draco smiled at the memory.

Richard and Alvaro went right past him, leaving Issac the Quagsire with the dishes. He didn't really mind, he just scooped them up in his arms and followed the others in.

"I liked it here…the Magikarp are nice…" he mused out loud. Draco couldn't resist rolling his eyes.

(The Magikarp are morons, of course they're nice…) he thought. They came to the door where Alvaro phased through and got a human to open the entire door, since some of the Pokemon were too big for the Pokemon door. Draco noted bitterly that only he and Alvaro were small enough to use it, but Alvaro didn't need a door at all…

"Everybody ready?" Evelyn asked.

"Bree!" "Quaaaag…" "Gaaha."

Evelyn took it as a "Yes" and returned the three Pokemon. She'd gotten her things ready and now had her messenger bag over her shoulder. She looked a little unorthodox with the bag on and the egg pouch. Draco had to admit it; if the pouch didn't show the top of the egg, one could easily mistake her as being anywhere from five to six months pregnant.

"Well, Lisa," sighed Evelyn, smiling at her friend, "I guess this is goodbye, for now. I'll drop by when I can, okay?"

"Please do," replied Lisa, giving her friend an awkward egg-in-the-way hug before letting her go to follow Mark out the front door and onto the path leading to the front gate. Evelyn and Mark were just settling onto the bike, Evelyn in the back and Draco with Montero (carrying Mark's new egg) in the passenger car, when Lisa came out the front door, jogging toward them at the gate.

"WAIT!" she shouted. Mark, who was just about to start the bike up, sighed.

"What is it, Lisa?" he asked. Lisa had to stop and catch her breath before straightening up. She held out a closed fist from which something dangled, held on by some white, shiny string. It looked like a small chicken egg…

(Didn't we just have breakfast…?) Thought Draco as he cocked his head to the side. Evelyn took of her helmet and frowned.

"What is it?" she asked. The white string was woven around in a fish-net like pattern to hold the egg-like whatever-it-was on the string like a necklace.

"It's called a Lucky Egg. It's supposed to bring good luck. I have no idea if it works, but I think you should have it," said Lisa. Evelyn was about to put her hand out to take it, but stopped when she noticed Lisa wasn't talking to her…or Mark.

(Er…) bumbled Draco inwardly, not sure what to say (nothing always worked) as Lisa lowered the egg toward him. He took it and turned it in his hands. The string wasn't string, it was more like nylon strands, like fishing lines, and it was woven in braids at the straps that were supposed to go around his neck. It had metal clasps tied tightly on the ends, and from the looks of it, the nylon there was melted to ensure the clasps stayed there.

The egg itself was…very odd feeling. Like its shell was thicker than you'd expect. Like chocolate Easter eggs' shells are, but this shell felt like…well, a sea shell, really. Smooth but solid, and he could tell there was some hallow space inside, just by its weight. He sniffed it; nothing weird. He felt it; seemed okay. Then he brought it toward an ear and listened. It…sounded like a heartbeat! Odd, since he couldn't feel the beat, but he could hear it just fine…

"I wove it myself," said Lisa. "It was just a Lucky Egg before, but I figured someone should carry it on them, like a lucky Buneary foot or something."

(Not lucky for the Buneary…) Draco thought off-hand. It was well crafted. It took skill to give it braided nylon straps and a fish-netted center to hold the egg; if he didn't value his masculinity, Draco just might have to cry. Instead, he brought a hand up to his mouth then moved it forward toward Lisa.

"What did he say?" Lisa asked Evelyn.

"He said 'Thank you"." translated Evelyn.

"You're very welcome, Draco. Look at it this way; even if it's not all that lucky, at least it evens your odds," said Lisa. When Draco frowned at her, she smiled, "Evelyn's carrying an egg around, and so are you!"

(Yeah, but mine's better,) thought Draco as he gave a few scratchy chuckles. Lisa said her final goodbye and backed away. Evelyn put her helmet back on, Draco put the Lucky Egg around his neck, and Mark kick-started the bike and they were off.

It took way less time to get to Slateport on Mark's bike and soon enough they were on the paved road of the busy city before lunchtime. She directed him toward the Devon Corp building where he slowed to a stop and let her off. She returned his helmet and gathered up Draco and her bag.

"You'll be okay by yourself now?" he asked, "Do I have to rescue you from the ocean, or will you stick to deserts?"

(You're not funny,) thought Draco.

"I think I'll be fine," answered Evelyn. With a nod and a goodbye he drove off. Evelyn turned around to the large corporate building and headed in the revolving doors. It was still as quiet as ever, a few business men walking down the stairs or out of the elevator. The woman at the front desk was idly cleaning her nails when Evelyn approached the counter.

"Um…excuse me," she said. The woman stopped and looked up at her. Evelyn couldn't help but notice how the woman looked her up and down, stopping momentarily on the egg-pouch. "I'm Evelyn Yew, is the Boss in today?"

"Oh, you're Evelyn then?" said the secretary, "Sure thing, just a moment."

She pushed a button on an intercom on her desk and spoke into it.

"Mr. Barker, Evelyn Yew has just arrived," she said and took her finger off the button. A voice came out and answered.

"Bad timing, I'm afraid. We're in a meeting so I'll have to send Ricin down."

The secretary answered with a "Yes, sir" and that was all. Evelyn frowned.

"Who's Ricin?" she asked. The secretary shrugged. A few silent minutes went buy until the elevator gave a 'ping' and its doors opened. There stood a man dressed in a button-up, green collared shirt, black dress pants and black leather shoes. He wore a dark grey, fitted trench coat over it all, and if that didn't give him away, his green eyes and black, spiked back hair did.

"Wh- Blake?" Evelyn gasped. He chuckled and walked toward her, putting a hand on her upper back and turning her away from the front desk, starting to lead her to the front door.

"No, no, dear girl!" he said, rather loudly, "I'm Ricin, I'm here to assist you!"

They walked until they were outside the building, standing near a large fountain in front of it. Then he relaxed and stopped.

"Geeze, try and blow my cover why don't you?" he hissed, but he was smiling at her.

"So it is you, Blake! I must say, you look just as slimy as ever," she muttered, still smiling like he was. It wasn't true, though. He was cleaner looking now and smooth in his style.

"I take that as a compliment, considering my job requires me to slither my way out of tight situations!" he said proudly.

"And your job is…? Better yet, who's Ricin?" asked Evelyn.

"I'm a…detective of sorts," answered Blake. He reached behind the chest of his trench coat and pulled out a shiny silver police badge.

"Very nice; surprising, but nice," admitted Evelyn.

"Thank you," said Blake, "And Ricin is my alias. It's a poison, one of the deadliest. It's taken from the Castor bean. It causes respiratory and organ failure, followed by death in a few hours. Just chewing on the beans is fatal."

(That's awesome!) Thought Draco.

"That's…a little disturbing," said Evelyn, "But I see how it fits for you. Something like "cuddly bear" just wouldn't work for your image."

"Speaking of images..." Blake mumbled, looking down at the egg-pouch.

"It's an egg, an egg! Geez, I told Lisa this pouch thing was going to be hell..." grumbled Evelyn.

"You've been to Lisa's? Is she the one who gave you the egg?" asked Blake and Evelyn nodded before changing the subject as quickly as she could.

"So…are you here to help me? Where's Sly Scyther?" she asked.

"He's at the market near the harbor, being a fake-ass merchant. C'mon, I'll take you there," said Blake, ushering her down a sidewalk. The smell of the ocean was always prominent in this city, but it was getting stronger and stronger, a smell both Evelyn and Draco missed. They came upon a large clearing filled with vendors and stalls, all crammed together in a way that made it almost impossible to navigate ones way through the crowd.

"I'll have to get Zizzi, my Crobat, to help. Sly likes to be a dick and change the location of his stall every day. Easier to just follow Zizzi," said Blake, releasing a Crobat from a Pokeball. She was interesting, to say the least. Evelyn recalled those years back when Blake, on a drunken rambling session, told her about his Pokemon and that Zizzi was a Shiny like Draco. Her body was almost neon pink, but the webbing of her wings were black.

"Find Sly for me, love," said Blake. The Crobat took off over the market, disappearing beyond the stands and the crowds. Until she came back, they were just standing there, a sort of awkward silence passing between them. Draco nudged Evelyn and she looked to her bag to see him.

"I thought Golbat evolves with friendship," he signed. Evelyn snorted.

"They DO. Be nice, Drake," she chastised, but she was smiling. Draco just shrugged.

"What, what did he say?" asked Blake. Evelyn cleared her throat.

"Nothing! Just talking about the weather; hey, look! Zizzi's back…"

Indeed she was, and being followed by a Beautifly. Blake ushered Evelyn and Draco along and together they wove their way through the crowds, following the flying Pokemon until they came to a stall made of linked fences covered in hanging vines that were filled with various, foreign-looking berries Evelyn had never seen before. Standing behind a counter, moving various boxes of berries, was a stall vendor.

"It's always a hassle to find you, Sly," said Blake. The man turned around and smiled. He had to be somewhere in his thirties and was about as tall as Blake. He was far more muscular, though, and tanner too. He had five o'clock shadow on his face; funny, since it was barely even noon. His hair was a sort of corn-flower blond and his eyes were on the greener side of hazel. He reached forward and shook hands with Blake.

"Ah, Ricin. I was wondering when you were going to come back and pester the shit out of me again. I swear, you're worse than the flu," grumbled Sly Scyther.

"Ricin usually is," muttered Blake. Sly lost his smile from the tone, and then looked to Evelyn, just noticing her.

"Holy- Is this her?" he asked.

"Yeah, because I'm not standing right here…" muttered Evelyn. She wasn't enjoying the friendly chat. Having waited years to meet Sly, she felt the impatience ebbing in. Introductions should be over and they should be on their way to…where ever he was taking her.

"I- Sorry," said Sly humbly, reaching forward and shaking hands with her, "It's good to finally meet you! I suspect you want to get a move on soon, right?"

"Please, if you don't mind," said Evelyn.

"Sure, sure; just let me finish throwing some berries around. Blake, you still have someone to watch my stall? These berries are rare," said Sly.

"Yep," said Blake. Sly nodded to him and began rummaging around, moving boxes and counting things. A buzzing caught Evelyn's ears and she looked up at the chain-linked walls that surrounded his stall on three sides, all covered with vines, whether real or fake. Another chain-linked platform was placed over the top, giving the stall a 'in the trees' feeling, and providing ample shade. The buzzing was coming from somewhere in the leaves. Some rustled and little eyes looked out.

"Niiin….Ja-nin," hissed the pair of beady red eyes. Evelyn felt her skin crawl, as did Draco. Honestly, the Ninjask has just said "Crap…people." Still, it was creepy how well hidden he was.

"Um…" started Evelyn, nudging Blake, who wasn't paying attention. He looked at her and she pointed to the vines.

"Oh, right. Sly is a bug-maniac. He has a lot of bug types and most of them will stay here and guard his stall like they always do. Which ones are staying this time, Sly?" asked Blake. Sly popped up from behind the counter and seemed to think on it for a moment.

"Well…Ninjask, Beedrill, Beautifly, and Heracross," he said, and with each name the corresponding Pokemon popped out of the thickets of leaves, the Heracross leaning over the canopy, obviously resting up top.

"Lovely…" said Evelyn. She really didn't mind bug Pokemon, but she really hated it when they surprised her. Sly got up and dusted his hands off on his shirt. His clothes looked like he worked a lot. Khaki shorts, tan flip-flops, and a blue, worn out shirt with a few stains here and there. All of his clothes were sun-bleached, making the colors fade. Altogether, Evelyn could see how this man went undercover for things; who the hell would suspect him of anything but poor laundry detail?

"Alright, that's it. We should go to the boat now, before the ships finish unloading and get in our way as they leave," said Sly, waving his hand for Evelyn to follow.

"I'll see you later, Eve," said Blake as she started to walk away.

She waved at him and said back, "Tell Lisa I said 'Hi'."

She missed the bit of color on Blake's face as she turned around and followed Sly through the crowds. He was a quick guy, and she was doing her best to keep up. Finally they made their way onto a sidewalk by the beach, away from the market. He led her down it and toward the busy harbor. Luckily, they didn't have to swim through the crowd, something Evelyn never wanted to do again. Instead, he walked onto the pier, then onto a dock with only one boat on it. It looked like a boat one would go fishing for Krabby or Kingler in. It was decent sized, a little worn-looking, just like its owner, but seaworthy.

Atop the cabin, fast asleep, was a big green Scyther. Evelyn didn't have time to marvel at the rare Pokemon before a buzzing Masquerain whizzed by her to greet it's master. Sly patted its head and muttered some orders to it before it went over to where the rope of the ship was tied to the dock. Sly stepped onto the boat.

"Alright, climb on up," said Sly, holding his hand out and helping Evelyn in. He then led her into the little cabin on the deck of the ship, where all the navigational tools were.

"Alright, I'm afraid you're going to have to sit down on the floor here," he said as he closed the cabin's door and pointed to the floor.

"Why?" asked Evelyn. There were benches on either side of the cabin.

"A secret location is just that, Miss Yew; secret. I'm not allowed to let you see out the windows. Boss wanted me to cover them, but I figure that's a bit drastic.

"You really think I can memorize the way to a secret place in the ocean?" asked Evelyn skeptically.

(Seriously,) thought Draco (She can hardly remember where she puts her toothbrush…)

"Sorry, them's the rules…" said Sly. Evelyn sighed and sat down. "Alrighty then, we're off. Take the rope off, Masquerain!"

The bug Pokemon must have done so because the boat began to drift before Sly turned on the engine. It was on low as they putted their way out of the harbor, Sly talking to them.

"This trip doesn't take but an hour or so, no worries," he said, then pushed the engine up higher. They must have reached a deeper water zone as they gained speed, no longer held back by the laws of shallow beachfront waters. Evelyn sighed and lent back against the bench, arms folded with Draco in them. She felt the rumble of the engine and the rock of the boat and tried to focus her vision on one of the rust-stains streaking downward from a bolt on the wall near the ceiling.

Time flew by and Evelyn didn't want to look at anything. Her head ached at her temples and behind her eyes, sharp and throbbing. It was nothing compared to her stomach, twisting itself in knots, and the fact that the cabin smelled like briny fish didn't help. Her skin was clammy and she felt overly-warm. Draco groaned in her arms and she looked down to him. He looked like he was going to be ill. Sly must have heard him too, because he turned to look at them.

"Oh, Miss Yew. You don't look so good, and neither does he," he said, looking at the black Charmander. "Why didn't you tell me you got sea-sick?"

"I didn't know," reasoned Evelyn, not really feeling up to talking. Keeping her mouth shut seemed so much safer.

"Is this your first time on a boat?" asked a shocked Sly. Evelyn and Draco nodded. "Should have told me that sooner. Lie down on your backs then and close your eyes. We're almost there…"

Evelyn followed his orders, moving to lie on her back on the floor. Draco climbed off her and did the same. Eyes closed and lying flat seemed to help, but only a little. She was actually glad breakfast had already digested. Though, despite how empty their stomachs were, Draco and Evelyn were resisting the urge to throw up what would basically be their insides.

Finally Evelyn heard the engine cut off and the boat drifted freely. She felt and heard the bow of the boat make contact with a sand bar or the beachfront or something, she didn't feel like guessing.

"Are we there?" she asked, now trying to adjust to _not_ moving and rocking anymore. Her stomach was calming down as the world around her stopped swaying.

"Yep, just a second, we have to pull the boat in further," said Sly. Evelyn opened her eyes in time to see him go out the cabin's door, leaving it open to spill sunlight in. Draco groaned and rose up with her. They both sat there when the boat gave a sudden jerk forward and was dragged further inland.

"Alright, you can come out now!" shouted Sly. Evelyn clumsily got up now that the boat was at an odd angle. She grabbed her bag and let Draco scurry up her legs and back and onto her shoulder before she stepped out of the cabin.

Initially she let herself adjust to the light and all she saw was the back of the boat stretched out in front of her and behind it was a vast blue ocean with no land or ship in sight. It felt empty; there wasn't even a cloud in the sky.

So she walked around the little captain's cabin and to the front of the boat. She took a sharp gasp at what she saw just as she turned the corner. Normally, on a tropical island, most people would notice the paper-white sand and the vast amounts of greenery and vegetation of foreign origin spanned before them. Though this was part of the scene, it was all overshadowed, figuratively and literally, by a colossal white-marble tower.

It had to be at least a football field- no, two football fields wide! It was set back far into the jungle of the island, maybe a mile or two, but even from here on the beach, it was staggeringly huge. Every so often a level of the tower resembled Roman architecture with balconies or walkways with columns and statues of Pokemon (or she thought they were Pokemon) Evelyn had never seen. The tower stretched so far up that Evelyn and Draco, even from this far away, were staining their necks looking up. Up top, or she hoped it was the top, was a platform a little wider than the tower, so she could see no further than that.

One would have thought this island deserted with how quiet it things were. It was the first time Evelyn could say she heard the slow swishing of small ocean waves creeping back and forth on the shore; it was so different from the hustle and bustle of Slateport, where one couldn't hear themselves think. Here, she could have sworn she heard each grain of sand move with the waves or the wind running away on the lonely sea. The trees rustled any time wind blew, and a few cries of wild Pokemon rose up now and again.

This island, however, was anything but deserted. Looking at the tower they could see people walking up some outside stairs or balconies, or through various windows. All of them looked similar, dressed similarly, but even at the closest windows and balconies, Evelyn couldn't be sure why. Draco wasn't sure how long they stood there, standing on the bow of the ship and staring at the tower.

Suddenly a loud 'GONG' rang through, piercing the serenity. Its sound spread out over the island and disappeared beyond the vast blue ocean around it, yet it continued. GONG…GONG…GONG…its noise was startling some flying Pokemon amongst the forest and along the windowsills and balcony railings of the tower. They rushed up and flew off, away from the tower and deeper into the jungle.

"Don't worry!" shouted Sly over the ringing. He was standing near the bow of the boat and offered and arm to help. Evelyn sat and swung her legs over the side of the boat and was grateful to him for helping her down onto the soft sand.

"What is that?!" shouted Evelyn, the gongs continued their chaotic melody.

"It's alright it's just-" shouted Sly as the gongs subsided. He sighed and talked at a normal tone. "It's just the monks alerting the congregation that a boat's arrived."

"Congregation?" asked Evelyn. Sly had started to walk up the beach and toward the jungle, and Evelyn had to jog to keep up with his gait.

"Yes, congregation," said Sly as their feet met grass and they were enveloped by the shade of the jungle. For only a moment or two they stumbled over ferns and roots until they came to a ruined road, clear of large obstacles but made of only sandstones tiled together, grass growing between them. The path, thankfully, was wide enough that it created a small break in the treetops so one could see the sky and the tower.

"The Credenti Leggenda," elaborated Sly. "Legend Worshipers. They're a large group of pacifistic monks that date back to the days when the Towers were first created. They are in charge of Marble Tower, the tower of Pokemon myths and Legends. The other Towers thought they were mad because they believed in Pokemon that they thought didn't exist…"

"So they do?" asked Evelyn. Sly only smiled.

"Here is where your mother first spread her radical ideals," Sly said evasively, "This was also the first place to believe in her and what she was."

"What she was? What was she, then?"

"They called her The Lien."

"What does that mean?"

"No idea."

"Ugh…" groan Evelyn and Draco. They came toward the base of the Marble Tower, where trees were absent for a few yards, but lush grass and strange flowers took over. Sly finally stopped in front of a set of large double doors. Evelyn was walking so quickly to keep up with him that she almost ran into him. On the doors, with just as much marble as the rest of the tower, were two sets of knockers the size of a car tire, both were silver. Sly reached forward and knocked a few times.

The door opened slowly and a young girl in her twenties stood there, dressed in gold and white robes with her long, brown hair braided back.

"Sly, it's good to see you again. I trust your journey was safe," she said, opening the door further to invite them in. Sly and Evelyn stepped in. Automatically Evelyn was met with a surprise. This bottom story was beautiful!

The ceiling was flat for a few feet, then caved upward into a dome at the center. Around it were supporting columns. All the marble was well polished to the point that the floor reflected the light from the candles placed here and there. A few worshipers were walking around, talking. Some were at the base of the various statues that sat along the circular wall, both in and outside the dome center; some knelt in prayer and some lighting incense or placing flowers and food.

The room wasn't big enough to be the span the entire diameter of the Tower itself, so Evelyn could only imagine there were plenty of sections and rooms throughout just this one level. The girl that let them in shut the door and began to dote on them like a good hostess.

"You must be new here," she said as she put a gentle hand on the forearm of Evelyn, who had been distracted by the giant statues of strange Pokemon, some she knew and some she didn't.

"Hm? Oh, yes, I am. I'm Evelyn Yew," she said answered. For once, this stranger didn't know who she was and Evelyn was glad for it. It was downright creepy when older men knew who you were…

"Well come in, come in! Can I get you anything? Water? Juice? We only have organic here, and very little technology-" the girl began to ramble. Sly brought his fingers to his forehead and rubbed.

"Saria," he hissed, and the girl stopped talking and looked to him. "I need Father Sabio, please. It's important."

"Oh?" inquired the girl, Saria. Sly gave an exacerbated sigh and leaned in with a hand to cover his mouth from Evelyn's view as he whispered something into Saria's ear. The girl's eyes went wide.

"The Lien?" she shouted. Sly looked ready to strangle her. The majority of those in the room, a good dozen or so, turned to look at the shouter, some even in mid-prayer. It was amazingly quiet.

"He's in the practice room..." said Saria and she led them through an archway and down a hallway filled with tapestries and long rugs on the floor. They came to a room that reminded Evelyn vaguely of a Roman theatre. Half-moon shaped with descending stands to an open stage at the bottom. They came in at the top of the stands and headed down the stairs toward the stage, the few men and women in the stands watching them curiously. On the stage, two worshipers were battling their Pokemon, much to Evelyn's surprise.

They stopped at the last row of stands and Saria approached a Grumpig that was watching the battle with great enthusiasm, like she wanted to be in it; arms raised and hand up, lashing out now and again, like a child watching an action film.

"Hey, Shamma," said Saria. The Grumpig glared her way, not appreciative of the interruption. "Where's Father Sabio?"

The Grumpig, Shamma, just shrugged and went back to watching the battle. Saria groaned and looked around at the stands, but obviously didn't find what she was looking for.

"Tell you what, stay here and I'll go get him," she reason. Sly nodded and sat down on the stands a little way away from the Grumpig. Evelyn followed his lead and sat down.

"How long is this going to take?" sighed Evelyn, watching as the battle before them ended, a Ninetales having victory against a Flaaffy.

"With my luck, Father Sabio will be at the top consulting with some Legend of some kind."

Evelyn and Draco both looked at him with shock.

"Wait, Legends are real?" she asked. Sly rose an eyebrow.

"Yeah, what do you think these guys worship; incense and statues?"

"No, but…what kind of Legend could he be consulting?"

"Usually just Articuno, Mesprit, Raikou, or Celebi. They're fond of the humans here, and from what I've heard, the most talkative."

"How can he talk to them?"

"Through a psychic medium, of which, by the way, Shamma over there is _suppose_ to be training to be. She's damn bad at it, though…"

Grumpig glared over to him, snorted, and stuck her tongue out. Evelyn frowned.

"Bad how?"

"Well, for one thing, a medium has to be calm and unbiased. Shamma is neither one. Her name means 'pride'. Secondly, she can't seem to communicate to human minds. She's being trained to take over for the current and rather old medium upstairs."

Sly frowned and looked at Shamma who just glared back.

"Why _aren't_ you practicing anyway?" he asked. The Grumpig crossed her arms and gave a sort of "humph" sound and refused to look at him. Draco snickered on Evelyn's shoulder, who was biting her lower lip to keep from laughing too. The mirth of the moment, however, was about to come to an abrupt halt.

"Evelyn?" came an inquisitive voice, though sharp and snippy. Evelyn turned to find the speaker. It was a woman, dressed as all the other worshipers were, with long, fiery-orange hair all held in a ponytail, a few strands lingering around her face. She was ginger-colored; pale white with flecks of freckles across the bridge of her nose. The Ninetales from the battle sat behind her.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" she asked. The woman frowned at her, eyes brazen and harsh.

"Know me? You don't remember me? I'm Claire…" she said. Evelyn nearly fell out of her seat and Draco's jaw dropped.

"Claire!?" exclaimed Evelyn. Claire smirked, hands on her hips, and looking quite proud. Who could blame Evelyn for not recognizing her? They hadn't seen each other since they left Fortree over three years ago...

"I thought this place was for pacifist," Evelyn said without thinking. Claire dropped her smirk.

"What is that suppose to mean?" she growled. Evelyn rose her hands in defense.

"Woah, I'm just saying…a practice battling room in a peaceful congregation? Seems a little contradicting, that's all."

"Shows how much you've learned," grumbled Claire ,"I've only been a member for a few months, and even I know that to overcome violence one must first understand it. That's why we battle. Understand?"

"Oh…" said Evelyn, already wishing this conversation was over.

(Bossy cow…) thought Draco, glaring at Claire. She caught site of him and glared right back. Neither Draco or Evelyn forgot the bossy, sassy sound of Claire's voice, nor the harsh way she battled.

"Sorry, I just didn't know about the battling," said Evelyn. Claire crossed her arms and shrugged her shoulders.

"No, I guess you wouldn't know about battling…" she sighed and was about to turn around.

"Hey, wait! Now what is that suppose to mean?" growled Evelyn as she stood up. Just by the sound of Claire's voice it was obviously meant to be condescending.

"I'm just saying, you obviously don't know much about battling period." said Claire, looking pointedly at Draco, making a motion with her fingers to indicate small size. He snarled at her.

(Come say that to my face so I can roast that smug look off of you!) thought Draco. Evelyn was stiffening under him. She was egging her on, Evelyn knew it. That was how Claire worked back in their school days; piss off your opponent enough and they'll start to make sloppy mistakes.

"Leave Draco out of this; he's a great fighter no matter what his size!" shouted Evelyn, surprising even herself at how angry she was. Claire was just the kind of person that could piss anyone off.

"Oh, really now? Prove it, then…" said Claire. Evelyn seemed to deflate a little.

"Prove it?" she asked. "You want a battle?"

"Yes. Six on six, last one with a Pokemon standing wins." said Claire. Evelyn really deflated now.

"I only have four Pokemon…" she muttered. Claire snorted with laughter.

"You've got to be kidding! What have you been doing all this time; wading in the shallow end of a public pool?" she taunted. Evelyn gave no reply; she wasn't handing Claire unnecessary ammunition. "Fine, four on four then. Deal?"

(Deal!) Draco shouted mentally. Evelyn only nodded and the two young women shook hands. Shamma the Grumpig was snickering as Claire turned around to take her position on the opposite end of the stage. Draco glared at the pig and Evelyn did her best to ignore her, particularly when Shamma started following them, jeering at them in Pokemon, which Evelyn couldn't understand anyway. Draco, however, could.

"You can't win," said the Grumpig, Shamma, "I've been rooting for Claire since she first showed up here. She's already beaten everyone in the tower except for the High Counsel!"

(Fuck, check for polyps while you're up there…) thought Draco, annoyed at the Grumpig's brown-nosing and gloating of Claire's battling abilities. He wouldn't lie, though. He was a little worried now.

"Draco, I'm not sending you in first," said Evelyn, looking down at Draco standing next to her. She had the tone that left no room for argument, so he simply nodded. Evelyn reached in her belt's pouch and pulled out a Pokeball.

"Ready?" shouted Claire.

"Yeah…" Evelyn yelled back, though her voice broke a little. She hadn't forgotten the last and only time she battled Claire; it was a nightmare back then, what will it be like now?

"Alright," shouted Claire as she threw a Pokeball out into the stage…

* * *

**Chapter End Notes:**

_And another one bites the dust..._

_

Next Chapter:**Empathy**

What does it take to be human? What guidelines could there possibly be? Does it really matter that the a friend who changes themselves for someone they love isn't...human?


	9. Empathy

Love is often described as a passion like fire. In the heat of battle, an understanding, a connection, beyond humanity, between our pair can make the difference between life and death.

* * *

Chapter 9

**Empathy**

* * *

Some battles start out slowly, but as expected, a battle with Claire went from zero to sixty the moment their Pokeballs opened. Issac the Quagsire stretched out on the field, yawning, but Clair had released a Rapidash that wasted no time. It literally came out of its Pokeball sprinting full speed toward Issac.

"Issac, _move!"_ shouted Evelyn.

"Quuuu-_aaaag_!" yelped Issac, starting his yawn slow and ending abruptly when he dodged to the left, just nearly avoiding the hooves of the equine as it stomped into the material of the stage, flecks of stone and dust flying into the air. Issac tumbled to the side before stopping himself and sitting up on his hands. He came to his senses not a moment too soon and rolled to the site as another hoof came down. Again he rolled avoiding each stomp.

"Hold still you slimy little cretin!" shouted the Rapidash as it continued its assault, its strikes stirring up more and more dust from the broken stone of the stage floor. Issac stopped rolling so suddenly that the Rapidash stopped its attacks in surprise, staring at the blue creature that propped itself on its arms to sit up and tilt its head.

"What's a cretin?" he asked in a far-away voice. The Rapidash shouted in annoyance and resumed its stomping while Issac resumed his rolling.

Draco, whose jaw was left agape in disbelief, snapped his mouth shut at the giggling from Shamma to his left. He glared over at her.

(What's so fucking funny!?) he snarled mentally. This only made the Grumpig giggle more.

(Fast, isn't he? Something as slow as that Quagsire couldn't possibly keep up,) came the mental reply from the Grumpig, her voice too busy laughing to counter verbally. Draco frowned and turned his attention back to the battle with one final thought-

(His name is _Issac_…) he echoed Evelyn's words. Shamma stopped laughing abruptly and gave him an unrecognizable look. Something lost between skepticism and surprise, but Draco didn't care. He was currently keeping a sharp eye on the battle on the stage, listening as a frustrated Evelyn muttered things under her breath, desperate to get out of this stalemate.

"Rapidash! Stop playing Wack-a-Quagsire and hit him already!" shouted Claire from across the stage. The massive horse stopped stamping its feet at the ground, now shrouded with dust like a fine mist, and took careful aim as it lowered its head, horn poised to strike. Draco felt Evelyn tense next to him.

"Issac, _down_!" she shouted just as the Rapidash struck its horn into the dusty chaos it had created.

"Down? Just what the hell is that suppose to…Oh, for fuck's sake!" shouted Claire. The dust cleared enough for everyone to see the Rapidash had jammed its horn into the stone just inches above a freshly dug hole.

"Mud Shot!" commanded Evelyn. The Rapidash, jerking and trying to pull its horn from the stone plate, was in the unfortunate position to have its head directly above the hole as a stream of steady, muddy water shot up and out of it, like some kind of filthy geyser. It cried out, breaking its horn free and stumbled back before collapsing. Issac popped its head from the hole-

"Quuaaag!" which translated roughly to "Yaaaaay!" making Draco face-palm and Shamma snicker

"How's that for whack-a-Quagsire!?" taunted Evelyn, hands on her hips and looking quite proud. Claire was frowning, eyes darting around the stage trying to piece it together as she returned her Rapidash.

"How did he dig through solid stone!?" she countered nastily. Evelyn, much to Draco's pride, didn't even flinch.

"It's really _your_ fault. I was wondering where all that dust was coming from, since a lot of it didn't look the same. It was when they stopped for a few seconds a while back that I saw that your Rapidash had broken through the stone plate of the stage and left normal earth exposed," explained Evelyn. Claire just grumbled under her breath and threw out another Pokeball.

"_Nine_!" growled her Ninetales once it was on the stage. Issac was just slowly and lazily climbing out of the hole.

"Ninetales, you know what to do from here…" commanded Claire, sounding almost bored. The Ninetales just turned her attention to Issac and smiled sweetly.

"Awww, aren't you just _adorable_!" swoon the Ninetale. Issac, with the ever-present vacant look, smiled.

"Thank you," he said. The Ninetales gave him a saucy little smile and walked a bit closer, purposefully swaying her tails as she went. Evelyn frowned. She may not understand a word of what was being said, but body language spoke volumes.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me…" she laughed. Draco smiled and rolled his eyes. For once, they had the upper hand in something.

"What do you say you drop this battle and let me win, sweety," sighed the Ninetales as she walked to curve herself around Issac, tickling him with her tales. Much to her shock, he just smiled and shook his head. She scoffed.

"I…I don't understand. Do you not like me?" she whined, doing her best to sound hurt, but even Draco could hear the anger in her voice. Issac, bless him, shrugged. The Ninetales was quickly developing a bad case of twitchy-eye as her attempts where failing. She unwrapped herself from him and walked a few feet away to stare at him head on.

"Do you find me _attractive_?" she asked in a voice so sweet, Draco was sure he was going to go into a diabetic coma any moment. Issac, once again, shrugged. This seemed to be the final straw.

"Jerk!" she hissed and launched herself forward without warning, slamming sidelong into Issac, sending him flying back a few yards. Ninetales seemed to be ignoring her trainer's cries-

"Ninetales, that's not part of the plan! Use Attract!"

"Issac, get up and use Mud Shot!" shouted Evelyn, but there was an anxiety in her voice. The Ninetales was just as fast as the Rapidash, and Issac was still just a slow as he ever was. He got up managed to get to his feet just in time to be slammed into again, thrown back more.

"Ugh, fine. Use Confuse Ray!" shouted Claire. The Ninetales obeyed and caught Issac just as he was getting up again. He managed to continue but wobbled and fell down. Shaking his head a little, he tried to recover, and stumbled around on unsteady feet.

"Tsk…now this is just sad…" sighed the Ninetales, rolling her eyes. Claire looked disgusted.

"Keep using Quick Attack; he won't last long…" said Claire. Ninetales growled and rammed into Issac again, sending him tumbling.

"Issac!" shouted Evelyn, but no command followed. She was rushing, trying to think of something. Issac was confused enough on his own, he didn't need this. It was beyond sad; it was just sick to watch.

The Ninetales turned sharply, skidding a little, before dashing into another Quick Attack toward Issac. He shook his head and looked up just in the nick of time as the Ninetales approached. The fox was caught off guard when a sudden jet of muddy water sent her flying back, landing back a few yard. She stood, shaking off the shock, and looked to see Issac standing tall, arms crossed, and actually frowning.

"You're not very _nice_, are you?" he asked. Draco snorted when the Ninetales' jaw dropped in disbelief.

"Why you little…" snarled the Ninetales, dashing toward him once more. She dodged a jet of muddy water again and slammed into him, but he managed to slide back, crouched over to balance himself on his feet before retorting with another jet of muddy water, throwing her back. The vixen had a nasty streak, though, and recovered before running toward him again.

"Issac, try a Headbutt!" commanded Evelyn.

"Ninetales, Zen Headbutt!" shouted Claire. The two Pokemon met in mid-air with a sickening _crack_ of skulls before ricocheting off one another and collapsing. The room was deathly quiet, both sides catching up to what had just happened. Neither Pokemon moved, and Evelyn sighed before returning Issac, Claire returning her Ninetales.

"Issac…" whispered Evelyn in grief. "You were wonderful, and I should I have pulled you back sooner…take a rest."

She returned him and groaned in frustration, running her fingers across the little pouch on her belt that contained Alvaro and Richard. Two seconds ago, they had an advantage, and then…I can't send out Richard, she thought. It'll have to be Alvaro, but…Evelyn glanced to Draco, looking between him, Shamma the Grumpig, and Ninetales on the stage…he really was little; smaller than all of them. Maybe she could avoid sending him out at all…

"C'mon Alvaro…" she mumbled, throwing the Pokeball out. Alvaro floated, looking at the setting of the stage. Claire was looking at the Gastly as if she were trying to solve a math problem.

"Well…aren't you going to send your Pokemon out, Claire?" shouted Sly from the stands. Evelyn looked up and felt like a cold lump dropped in her belly. She'd forgotten they were technically on a stage, and it seemed that more and more monks had come in to watch, filling the stands almost completely. Sly was smirking down at them from the third row on the left side.

"Yeah, sure," said Claire, "I was just trying to figure out why Evelyn here owns so many puny Pokemon…"

"First of all…" growled out Evelyn. Draco glanced up to her, the anger and indignity evident on her face, "I do not _own_ them. Secondly, they are _NOT_ puny!"

"Whatever you say," chuckled Claire as she released her next Pokemon. A Magmar stood proudly, a cocky grin on his face.

"Are you prepared for the worst beating of your life," he asked Alvaro.

"I'm technically _dead_, so do I have to answer that?" asked Alvaro. The Magmar's face contorted in rage and he roared his fury and ran toward Alvaro, who deftly swooped to the side, leaving the Magmar to practically fall on his face. He waved his arms to recover and turned to Alvaro with a smirk.

"Oh…you're a ghost, right…then how about this!" he roared a stream of fire at Alvaro, who wasn't fast enough and was thrown back in the air, wincing at the fire.

"Alvaro, use Curse!" commanded Evelyn. Alvaro recovered and, instead of flying right at Magmar, he dove without warning, disappearing under the stone plates of the floor. Silence enveloped the room for a moment or two, the Magmar shifting and turning nervously. A cold feeling ran through his body starting at his feet. He looked down the see purple mist seeping through the cracks in the floor, surrounding his body. Before he could run out of it, the purple mist pulled in and his whole body chilled. Just as soon as it was there, it was gone, and Alvaro rose from the ground just a few feet away.

"What…what the hell was that?!" shouted Magmar, shivering. His fingertips and toes felt like they were being dipped in ice-water. Alvaro didn't even crack a smile; he remained very professional.

"I cursed you, and it will only get worse…" he replied. Magmar glared.

"Not if I can help it!" he snapped and threw a Fire Punch before Alvaro could dodge. Alvaro flew back, flying lower now, and tried to shake it off.

"Alvaro, Night Shade!" came Evelyn's command. Magmar was running toward him, fist ready for another Fire Punch, when Alvaro actually smiled and his eyes gave a faint purple glow. The world in Magmar's vision turned to dark purples and blacks, like some warped negative of a photo, and everything waved a little. To outsiders, it only looked like his body gained a glowing violet outline and he staggered a moment. His world came back into focus and he shook his head to steady himself. Alvaro was moving now, avoiding him.

"What's wrong with me…" muttered Magmar out loud. He was looking at his hands, and Draco knew why. As the curse hit, it made everything go numb from the outside in. He rose up and made chase, eager to give Alvaro another Fire Punch.

"Get him, Magmar! Smokescreen!" said Claire. Magmar stopped dead in his tracks before taking a massive inhale. As he exhaled, a flow of coal-colored smoke was emitted, and it wasn't long before it took over the stage.

"Damn it…" grumbled Evelyn, echoing Draco's thoughts. They couldn't see a damn thing anymore!

"No one's ever gotten this far…" came Shamma's voice. Draco looked to her; she was watching the field with the eyes of a Psychic as she spoke. "You still don't stand a chance, but no one has ever gotten this _far_, not even six on six…"

Draco didn't know how to react to this. The way it was said was with a voice full of bitterness, but the words didn't match up. He chose to ignore it and continue with the battle. Through the smoke, they could see flashes of fire and purple glows.

"Magmar!" shouted Claire from the other side of the darkness. "No more playing around; use Faint Attack!"  
There came a loud _THWAK_ sound followed by utter silence, leaving Draco, Evelyn, and all spectators on the edge. The smoke began to clear and the scene appeared before them. Magmar was panting heavily, looking rather pale, and Alvaro was on the ground, like a smoky purple beach ball. Evelyn groaned and returned him.

"Damn it all…" she mumbled. She glanced down at Draco, torn. No, not yet…Magmar was weak, maybe Richard…deep down, Evelyn knew the move she was about to make was an incredibly stupid one, but that didn't stop her. It postponed sending Draco out, which was enough of a reason for her.

"Alright, Richard, make me proud…" she whispered before throwing her Pokeball into the field, leaving Richard the Breloom standing haughtily before the Magmar. The fire type looked up at him for a moment before snorting and bursting out in laughter, as did his trainer.

"You can't be _serious_!" exclaimed the Magmar before giving out involuntary, rasping coughs. Richard raised an eyebrow.

"I see Alvaro's been here…" he mumbled, sounding unimpressed. Magmar glowered at him.

"Shouldn't you be worried, _grassy_?" he asked, trying to sound threatening, but his rasping voice and wheezes didn't help.

"Not really, no," sighed Richard. Magmar snarled and threw a Fire Punch, but Richard was faster. He leapt back, grabbing a spore pod from his tale and throwing it at the ground in midair. The pod burst and shrouded Magmar in a mist of yellow spores. Magmar coughed and sputtered as he ran out of the cloud of spores. He was in the middle of catching his breath and wiping spores from his eyes when a Mach Punch met him in the gut. He groaned and landed on his knees, Richard standing over him with a grin.

"Damn Breloom," he grumbled. Richard frowned.

"My name is Richard the Lionhearted, good sir, and you shall- why are you laughing?!" shouted Richard as halfway into his monologue the Magmar, still on his knees, began to hysterically laugh, even throwing his head back. The humans were utterly oblivious to any of this; both Evelyn and Claire stared in confusion.

"I'm laughing…heh-because your name is _Richard_!"

"Yes…so?"

"That- haha…that just means you're a _Dick_!" he exclaimed, emphasizing his last word with a sudden Fire Punch to the side of Richards face. He went with the force, rolling in the direction and recovering as another punch flew just above him. He frowned at the horrible aim and watched the Magmar stagger, shake itself, and come at him again.

(The Curse is really affecting him now!) Gasped Shamma, mentally. Draco looked at her and she looked unlike any of the spectators in the stands; she was biting at her hooves and shifting giddily between feet, eyes wide.

(Careful, Miss Piggy; someone might think you're rooting for _our_ side.) Draco thought back. Shamma gave an unladylike but very pig-like snort.

Richard threw a Mach Punch as he blocked one of Magmar's Fire Punches, but the Magmar blocked him. This continued, one landing a hit, the other blocking. Evelyn was growing impatient as Richard began to bob and weave to avoid Magmar's hit, much to the fire type's annoyance. Almost his whole body was cold and numbing, even his fire was less powerful. Unfortunately for him, his unsteady fighting was obvious to everyone watching.

"Richard, kick him back!" shouted Evelyn. Richard leaned back on his tail and slammed Magmar in the middle with his feet. Caught off guard, Magmar took the hit in gut and staggered back. Richard bolted at him, fist raised as Magmar's world began to pulse with his heartbeat.

"Mach Punch!"

"Fire Punch!"

"Give me your best shot," he growled, pulling his fist back and putting as much fire into it as possible. Richard leapt at him. Fists met temples as each Pokemon landed on their opponent simultaneously. They reeled back, panting and shaking. Magmar gave one feeble little cough before falling first to his knees, then to his belly. Draco and Evelyn smiled at each other over the small victory, but they looked away just long enough that their only signal was the _thump_. They looked back and Richard and collapsed sideways. Another tie…

"No…" said Evelyn softly. Claire returned Magmar and waited impatiently, tapping her foot. She was obviously very displeased that they were tied and on their last Pokemon. Nowhere near as displeased as Evelyn, who looked down at Draco with worry evident in her eyes.

"You don't have to do this…" she whispered. Draco glowered at her, rather insulted. He was scared, he wasn't about to let his machismo challenge that, but he was proud…They had never lost a battle before. They had had close calls, many times, but he pulled through…for the sake of her pride, not his.

"You don't trust me?" he signed to her. Evelyn knelt down to him, face taking on a bit of color.

"No! Good Legends, no! I do, I really do, but…" she whispered and looked at Claire across the field. She had released her Pokemon and seemed to be giving it a pep talk. The Pokemon, her Combusken, has holding her hands and listening. Draco watched as well, and then looked back to Evelyn. Something clicked, and he was sure he understood, or was somewhere near understanding.

"You're scared," he signed. She didn't even bother looking at him, just translated out of her peripheral vision. She nodded. "Why?"

"What if I miss something? What if I make a mistake and you end up paying for it? Draco, you _are_ little. You're strong, but you can't deny it…your size opens doors to dangers others don't have to worry about…" she whispered, beginning to babble and rant a bit. Draco reached forward and placed his little hand over her lips and she stopped. It was his turn.

"I'm not going to quit just because you think you'll make a mistake. You've never let me down before. Have _I_ ever disappointed _you_?"

"No, Drake…never."

"I trust you, why can't you trust me?"

"I do trust _you_; it's the _world_ I don't trust!" Evelyn hissed. Draco frowned, his understanding lost again. Evelyn reached forward and pulled him to her, holding him against her. He could feel her breath at his shoulder, her lips mere inches away.

_"I love you,"_ she whispered, and never before had it sounded so fragile, so…real; like it had a gravity all its own. Draco felt some sense of understanding again; that was something he shared with her, and he was desperate to prove it. He turned his head and gave her a kiss at her neck, something far different from their normal peck on the cheek. She pulled back and smiled at him, placing a kiss on his forehead. A throat cleared across the stage.

"Are you ladies ready, or shall I come over there a-"

"Shut the fuck up Claire!" snapped Evelyn in such an out of character way that even Draco jumped and looked back at her, incredibly impressed. She smiled and shrugged, enjoying the god smacked look on Claire's face. "See? I can be brave too… now go on…"

Draco let his hand slip from hers as he walked onto the stage. He took a moment to reflect on just how small he was as he climbed over the broken slabs of stone plates from Issac's battle. The Combusken looked like he could throw the slab if he wanted to. As expected, the moment he was at his position, the taunting began.

"You must be joking…this is just _insulting_, really now?" said the Combusken as he turned back to look at Claire gesturing toward Draco. Claire just grinned and shrugged. The Combusken rolled his eyes.

"Fine…" he grumbled as he took a stance, one Draco mirrored, "I guess I'll just have to blow you to Kingdom Come…"

(You couldn't blow me to Kingdom Three-Feet-From-Here…) Draco thought dryly.

"Toukon, Double Kick!" commanded Claire. The Combusken sprinted forward and threw one foot out wildly at Draco. The little black Charmander ducked easily and moved to swing his tail around, catching the Combusken off guard and tripping it back.

"Draco, Slash!" shouted Evelyn. Draco brought his claws forward but the Combusken rolled aside and hopped a few feet away, returning to a fighting stance. Draco's claws dug into the top of the stone plate, leaving several shallow gashes. He quickly turned back to his opponent and mirrored his stance again.

"Did you name the Combusken _Toukon_?" asked Evelyn from across the stage. Draco rolled his eyes.

(Leave it to Evelyn to care about his name after he tried to round-house kick my teeth out…) he thought with a smile.

"Yeah, so?" shouted Claire.

"Why didn't you name the others?" asked Evelyn. Draco was lost as to why she looked and sounded so cynical, but he really couldn't care.

"That's none of your business! Toukon, Double Kick!"

"Draco, Fire Fang and hang on!" Draco had only a split second to catch Evelyn's order before an avian foot came flying at him. He made no move to duck, but instead moved to bite and latch onto the Combusken's skinny leg.

"Hot, hot, hot!" chanted the Combusken as he hopped around, shaking his leg and trying to get rid of Draco and his Fire Fang.

"That's just embarrassing…Toukon, Overheat!" Draco felt the flesh between his teeth suddenly turn white-hot and he let go as quick as he could. He was launched backward a few feet from Toukon's continued kicking. The Combusken turned around and glared daggers at him, but he walked forward with an ever-so-slight limp.

"You little bastard; that was cheap…clever, but damn _cheap_…" he grumbled. Draco smirked back, glancing at Evelyn.

(Wasn't my idea…) he thought as he stood up.

"Toukon, Sand-Attack!" shouted Claire. The Combusken dug its claws suddenly into the exposed bit of dirt next to it and flung a handful at him, hitting Draco square in the eyes.

"I don't understand…you shouldn't even be here, on this stage!" provoked the Combusken.

(Oh, son-of-a-) thought Draco, trying to rub his eyes when a sudden momentum struck his left side with enough force that it sent him flying a few yards.

"You're out of your league! Surrender and I'll stop, I'm not enjoying being the tormentor of a _lesser_ Pokemon!" the Combusken, Toukon, tried to reason, his voice frustrated, not condescending.

"Draco, get up! Worry about the sand later, just get up and move!"

"Fine, have it your way…"

Draco was on one knee when another momentum landed on his other side, throwing him again. The pressure was like being dropped from a two story building, and he gasped at the pain, holding his hand at his ribs once he landed. His world was clearing up the more he blinked. He shook his head, ridding himself of the sand just in time to see a bird's foot come right at him, colliding with his face and sending him back.

"Draco!" he was barely aware of Evelyn's cries as he rolled over with a groan onto all fours. He brought his hand to his nose then back down to see the shiny crimson liquid, barely visible off his dark skin. He needed an upper hand, but as he dodged forward, avoiding yet another kick, he just couldn't think of anything, so he shot a stream of blue flames at the Combusken, who shouted in surprise but weaved to the side, looking less injured and more irritated.

"Fire, really now? Last chance, pull out now and you walk away in one piece!" growled out the Combusken.

(Fire doesn't work; it's pointless if it's on a lower lever…Speed's no good, damn bird is quick…) Evelyn thought as she watched Draco dodge attacks and attempt to counter with slashes, only landing minimal hits. (We were fine until he blinded us back there…Wait, that's it!)

"Draco, Smokescreen!" shouted Evelyn suddenly. Draco registered her command just as he ducked another kick. A quick inhale and with the exhale came a shroud of jet black smoke, losing both of them in the darkness. Unlike the Magmar, Draco didn't have the power to shroud the whole stage, only the few square yards they were in. Combusken came running from the cloud of smoke coughing and trying to regain a decent breath when Draco came out after him, hand at the ready.

"Slash!" Draco's claws came down on the Combusken's back in one smooth stroke, cutting into him. The Combusken shouted it pain and surprise, turning to return the slash, but Draco jumped back.

"I've had enough of you, _tiny_…" declared the Combusken. Then…he was gone! Draco stiffened and tried to prepare himself when his opponent collided with him without warning, making him stumble back.

"Quick Attack, again!" shouted Claire, and another ram to the side hit Draco, catching him off guard; he managed to catch himself on all fours instead of landing on his face.

"Now Double Kick!" Draco bit back a raspy scream in the back of his throat when a foot collided with his waist, sending him tumbling on his side before coming to a rest on his back.

"Draco! Roll to the side!" He was trying to follow her commands, but his own body fought him. It felt heavy and it screamed at him in protest.

"Now, Brick Break!" shouted Claire and Combusken took off in a running leap, hand raised to strike.

"Draco, Endure!" Draco stiffened and readied for the impact, and sure enough, it was full of force. Onlookers watched as the two Pokemon disappeared in dust as the attack shattered the floor. It cleared to show a struggling black Charmander, holding onto the claws of a much larger Combusken as it pushed down further, both at the center of a very shallow crater created in the cracks of the stone plates. Draco coughed as the Combusken pushed down more, trying to push him into the earth.

"I don't _understand_ you…" mumbled the Combusken, quite and calm, but loud enough to get over Evelyn's screams for him to stop. "I've been holding back, trying to get you to quit and save-face, but still, you're here. Is your pride worth this? Why don't you give up?"

(I have too much to prove,) he thought as his world went in and out of focus. He turned his head to his side of stage, where Sly Scyther had rushed down to grab a hysterical Evelyn and keep her from running into the battle. Even from here he could smell her tears, through his own blood. She'd always gone out of her way to get him what he wanted or what he needed, and right now, he needed her to trust him…and to love him.

"Evelyn, just return him!" growled Sly as he held her arms back. She shook her head, beside herself with the want to do just that, but she wanted him to prove himself. She just wasn't sure as to why, or who he wanted to impress so much that he would take an unnecessary thrashing. He turned his head toward her and she caught his eyes. Sly felt her relax so quickly that he let go and she fell to her knees. Draco was smiling…

"C'mon, Drake…" she whispered, to no one in particular. "You can _do_ this…I know you can."

Shamma the Grumpig was watching in awe, not fully understanding what drove Evelyn to just let Draco battle to his heart's content, despite the fact that he was losing! Her struggle to comprehend was put on hold when a faint blue light shone off the battle. It grew to an intense glare, so much so that everyone shielded their eyes with their arms or closed them entirely. All but Evelyn, who just tried to squint through the glare. Just as suddenly as it rose, it fell and faded away.

Toukon the Combusken slowly opened his eyes, trying to focus, when he felt something take a sudden and very strong grip on the feathers and skin at his collarbone and yank him forward. He threw his eyes open at this point, staring into intense blue eyes of a being that rumbled a deep growl. With swift movements the owner of those eyes and that sound flexed its grip on his hand, bringing it to near breaking, and released the skin on his chest, only to take hold of his upper arm. In a smooth, but forceful movement, he was thrown over its shoulder and landed with enough power to crack the plates further. The grips released and Toukon flipped over, trying to stand, when a black and red tail came whipping around, slamming the side of his face and sending him skidding to the side.

The Combusken rolled to his side and onto his knees, looking back at his opponent, who he could no longer call 'tiny'. He looked to be somewhere near or over four feet and stood proud and tall, fists balled and held back. His scales were still black and scarlet, his tail flame was still blue and white, but both it and he were far bigger than before. He had a scaly horn at the top-back of his head, and sharp claws and teeth, both white and gleaming as he bared them all. He even retained the thin, silvery scar on the corner of his eye and down his neck. Terrified would be a good way to describe the feeling one got at looking at this midnight and blood Charmeleon.

Terrified was the last way Evelyn would describe what she felt at that moment. She quickly swiped away the remaining tears and stood up purposefully. Draco looked back at her with a haughty smirk, and then wiggled his eyebrows. She couldn't suppress her chuckle. He stood in a way that made him seem taller than he really was. Like he was sucking in his gut, refusing to slouch, and standing on the balls of his feet all at the same time. Didn't matter, he looked amazing. She'd never imagined Draco with muscles like he had now; glaringly obviously and staggeringly impressive for such a sudden change. Chest, arms, legs; Evelyn felt a little guilty knowing she'd never been this impressed with a human male that fit. The Lucky Egg still hung around his neck, and Evelyn grinned; maybe it was lucky after all.

"You complete _ass_," she laughed. He rose an eyebrow. "You had to scare the living hell out of me just to evolve?"

Draco shrugged, but kept his arrogant smirk. After all, he was now, by all means, bigger than his opponent. He turned his attention back to the Combusken, who had just gotten to his feet and was back into a fighting stance.

"I hate irony…" he mumbled, but he looked determined to continue, for which Draco was grateful.

"If you think that gives you the upper hand, you're _wrong_!" shouted Claire, but she didn't sound nearly as confident as she had moments ago. "Toukon, Brick Break!"

The Combusken ran at Draco, who glanced back to Evelyn for directions.

"Fire Fang and toss him!" Draco latched onto the downward chopping hand of the Combusken and bit down as hard as he could while emitting blue flames. Combusken roared in pain as Draco turned his body, stretching the reluctant Combusken with him before turning quickly, sending his opponent across the stage, where it had little time to recover before a tail slammed into the side of its head.

"We need to end this, Toukon!" shouted Claire as Combusken stood up. "Fire Blast!"

The Combusken crossed its arms and gathered as much fire as it could muster, shouting out as he threw his arms out, sending the crossing of flames hurling toward Draco.

"Drake, jump high and fight fire with fire!" The audience watched, captivated, as the black Charmeleon leapt into the air, dodging the Fire Blast, took a huge gulp of air, and emitted not a stream of fire, but more like an angry river of pale blue and white flames down to envelope the Combusken, which disappearing within the glaring light of the fire and the warping heat waves it emitted.

Draco dropped down deftly and straightened himself, claws still in fists but hanging at his sides as he watched the dust clear. The Combusken had crossed his arms in an attempt to block himself. He unfolded them, and used one hand to balance as he rose, shakily, to his feet. The force of the blast had dented the stone ever so slightly, leaving it cracked and scorched. Toukon took one step forward before shaking and collapsing.

"Toukon!" shouted Claire before she rushed onto the battlefield to her Combusken. The audience, however, was roaring with applause to see Claire the Scare finally go down, a few of them even beginning to come down onto the stage. Evelyn, noticed Draco puff out his chest and bask in the glory, striking a pose or two, but as she approached him, followed by an awestruck Shamma, he froze.

Being closer made them both aware of just how serious his change was. He wasn't much shorter than her now; he could smack her in the face if he cared to, not that he ever would. He gave her a feeble little smile, showing off his new teeth, but really it was the look on her face that worried him. It was fairly blank as she looked him up and down, and he imagined the pink on her complexion was the aftermath of the battle. All worries stopped when she suddenly grabbed the sides of his face and pulled him in, where she kissed him dead on the lips for only a moment, before holding in a vice-like hug, as best she could with the Egg Pouch still in the way.

"If you ever scare me like that again," she whispered, "I'll kill you in your sleep, kay?"

If he could have, Draco would have blanched. The sweetness in her voice was evidence that she was joking, but it was somehow more terrifying and realistic that way. She pulled back and smiled at him.

"You almost did, that night you rolled over on me…" signed Draco, and Evelyn blushed suddenly at the memory.

"I'm glad no one else knows sign language," she chuckled, and then took on a very serious look, "You can't sleep on my chest anymore, you know."

If there was a moment killer anywhere, that was it. He hadn't thought of that. He didn't fancy the thought of not touching those again; though she is my best friend, how fucked up is that? Oh, but they're soft and warm. Hell, he'd seen her topless when she was hitting puberty. He wondered what she would look like no-

Draco tensed up quickly when new, far more disturbing thoughts of Evelyn starting swimming through his head of their own accord, many involving things that were far beyond friendship and far beyond just her breasts. He stared at her for a moment before she rose and eyebrow, hands on her hips.

"Drake…does that…does that bother you?" she asked. Draco shook his head quickly, not sure how to actually answer that. Sometimes not talking was a blessing.

(Maybe this is a good thing. I really was enjoying that too much; it's wrong. I'm sure she doesn't have those kinds of thoughts about me. It feels so wrong…) he thought as Evelyn was approached by Sly Scyther.

"Congrats," was all he said and he gave her a few far-too-hard slaps on the back, and she laughed nervously. Something inside Draco was alight just then, like hot, slow syrup that spread out from his chest, and he felt the rumble of an involuntary growl through him. Sly rose an eyebrow and Evelyn looked concerned.

"You alright, Draco?" she asked, moving to stand next to him. She did something that they'd done many times before, but it was different in his new form. She laced what fingers she could through his claws and held his hand. Just like that, the heat crept back into a knot in his chest. He smiled reassuringly, and she let go as the crowds of monks descended the stands, eager to speak to her, some wanting to help Claire in her distraught state over Toukon.

(That…was weird…) Draco thought. He'd never felt that kind of quick, overly-powerful anger before. He was starting to hate this new body. No sleeping on Evelyn's chest, sudden anger, and more bad thoughts of his best friend than ever before every time he looked at her. (Why is this happening to me?)

"Because you _evolved_, stupid…" grumbled Shamma as she approached him through the crowd.

(Why does that matter so much?)

"Your kind, Charmeleons, are infamous for a hot temper and a…adolescent mind…consider it your species equivalent to puberty," giggled Shamma, but the laughter didn't reach her eyes.

(You seem disappointed. Didn't enjoy the show?) asked Draco, raising an eyebrow. To his surprise, she blushed!

"More than I should have. You were very impressive. I'm still upset to see Claire fall, but you were an amazing fighter out there, all the way through…" she said, but she was staring off just right of Draco, at nothing in particular, just avoiding his gaze.

(The hell's wrong with you?) asked Draco, bluntly. Shamma looked around at a few monks, some with their Pokemon out. She reverted to speaking through her mind.

(You have naughty thoughts about your owner, don't you?) she asked.

It was Draco's turn to blush, if he could. He cleared his throat a bit.

(She's not my 'owner', she's my best friend.)

(Doesn't answer my question, now does it?)

(You read minds, you tell me…)

(You seem ashamed of it. Why?)

(Why? Legends, what's wrong with you!? She's my best friend for fucks sake; my ever constant companion. The only person who knows me!)

(…I'm sorry, where's the part where you justify why naughty thoughts about her are _bad_?)

Draco mentally sighed and began to walk away from her, weaving through the crowd, but she was persistent in following.

(I can understand why; she's quite pretty and you two get along swimmingly. Hell, half her commands didn't make sense to anyone here but you! I just don't understand your shame for these fantasies. Well, except that one a few minutes ago where you put-)

(Alright!) Draco mentally shouted, coming to a stop. (Yes, I have them. Yes, I'm ashamed of them! First off, she's my best friend; _untouchable_. Secondly, she's human-)

(You don't even care about that…) Shamma mused, flat expression on her face. Draco rolled his eyes.

(But society _does_! Now, lastly, she certainly doesn't feel the same way. These thoughts aren't _my_ doing, anyway! Right…?)

Shamma shrugged (I don't pretend to understand the male mind; it's dirty and I stay out of it as much as I can. However, if I were you, I wouldn't be so sure she doesn't have the same kind of thoughts about you…)

Draco's eyes widened. (Wait, what? Have you read her thoughts? What has she bee-)

(I CAN'T READ HUMAN MINDS!) shouted Shamma so loud that Draco flinched. Her voice got high when she was angry.

(Then why even put that thought into my head if not for false hopes…?) groaned Draco. Shamma gave him a cryptic smile.

(I could just see it; it's a girl thing, you wouldn't understand…) and with that, she turned around and disappeared into the crowd.

(Where's Swine Flu when you need it…) mumbled Draco as he walked through the people, some of them congratulating him or cheering. He was just following Evelyn's scent o find her when he heard her shouting.

"Take that back!"

"Fuck no! What, would you like me to sugarcoat it for you?"

"No, you'd probably eat it, Miss cottage-cheese-thighs!"

Draco started to push people aside as their yells turned to shrieks and scuffling sounds could be heard before a sudden _SMACK_ echoed in the theater room. He pushed one last monk aside to survey the scene. Evelyn was on the ground, Claire straddling her chest, just above the egg in its pouch (thankfully unharmed), with her fist raised, a bright red hand-mark on her cheek.

"Is there anything else you'd like to call me?" shouted Claire. Evelyn just gave a nasty smile, just as angry as Claire.

"Oh, Claire, there are many things I'd like to call you, and most of them rhyme with 'Weevil Switch'!"

With an animalistic snarl, Claire tensed up her arm to strike, and Draco felt that hot sensation spread white-hot and faster than before. She was ready hit Evelyn when-

**"THAT'S ENOUGH!"** echoed a booming voice. All monks turned their gaze immediately to the archway atop the stairs of the stands. There stood a massive man and next to him was a shaking and worried Saria. The man wasn't fat as much as just huge, and his hair, beard, and mustache were all long and salt-and-pepper colored. Little spectacles balanced on the top of his large nose as he glared down at them. Claire was the first to speak, shooting up and off of Evelyn.

"Father Sabio…"

* * *

**Chapter End Notes:**

_As usual; PLEASE REVIEW!_

_Random Fact:__ Most of my chapters are written in one to two days and I listen to Eclipse; the piano tribute to the first Evanescence CD while I type. Dunno...just soothing I guess._

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_Next Chapter:__**A Drop of Truth**_

_Even enemies have a story of their own. Relaxation and contemplation await before our pair face judgment._


	10. A Drop of Truth

Some enemies are just friends waiting to happen. Then again, the worst enemy can be yourself. Truth arises in several places, both from others and within. When all is said and done, you're one step closer to who you want to be.

* * *

Chapter 10

**A Drop of Truth**

* * *

"Father Sabio…"

Claire remained still, as did the entire congregation standing in the theater room. This man, this massive yet mini giant, began his descent down the stairs, the long haired brunet that was Saria trailing timidly behind him. The way this man walked was with his head held high and his gut and chest puffed out; he was built like a barrel. His hair was held back in a low, very loose pony-tail, but his mustache and beard were left to flow as he walked. Even if she hadn't heard it from Claire, Evelyn could have guessed that this man was different from other monks. While they had robes of white bordered with gold, Father Sabio had a silver robe, laced with white.

"All of you," he spoke in a commanding voice, stopping just a few steps from the bottom of the stand's stairs, "go help to prepare supper, you're _late_."

There was no argument as the congregation disbanded and walked out of several archway exits of the theater. Claire was just turning to leave when Father Sabio closed the distance between them and placed a plate-sized hand on her shoulder, and she froze, petrified.

"You're not going anywhere," he said simply, then looked toward Saria and ushered her over. She grabbed Evelyn's wrist and motioned to Sly to follow as well, and together they followed Father Sabio across the broken stage and behind a veiled archway. As she pushed aside the thin, white cloth, Evelyn was met with a circular room filled with throw pillows and cushions, tapestries and rugs, incense and candles burning on the stone ledges surrounding the room. In the very center of the room was a strange, almost lamp-like devise with small hoses protruding from it, at the top smoke could be seen rising, light and wispy, and the smell of it was calming…

"Sit down, everyone," commanded Father Sabio, and they each took a seat, keeping the circular pattern. Draco sat down next to Evelyn, sizing up the man. He didn't seem angry…he seemed tired.

"As you have probably guessed, thanks to one of our members here," said Father Sabio, looking down at Claire, who he had personally placed next to him. She had her arms crossed and was leaning against her cushion while staring at the strange device in the center. "I am Father Sabio, the headmaster of this tower. You, young lady, must be Evelyn Yew, correct?"

Evelyn only nodded.

"I am pleased to finally meet you, young lady. I'm sure you hear this more often than you'd like, but you do look so much like your mother…" he said, his features softening just a touch. Evelyn gave him a small smile in return before he continued. "I must say, though, that you are very unlike your mother in the ways of your behavior."

Evelyn frowned at him and couldn't stop the curious tilt of her head.

"What do you mean? So far, everyone I've ever met who knew my mother tells me I'm almost exactly like her…"

Father Sabio chuckled and said, "Well, it would make sense if you were, but no matter what, everyone's their own person. Your mother would never own any Pokemon-" He swiftly raised a hand to stop Evelyn before she could protest the "owning" issue- "even though they mean more to you than that. If our Psychic medium hadn't told me about you upstairs, it would still be apparent that how you feel about your Pokemon is unlike any other. However, your mother despised battles and would turn them down at any cost. I do not fault you, please do not misunderstand. It's comprehensible as to why you battled, considering your…opponent."

He looked over to Claire, who by this point, was fiddling nervously with her robes. A moment of silence dragged on for longer than Evelyn desired; she had things to do here, after all, despite this digression. So she cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry about that Father, it won't happen again…I hope," she said sheepishly. Some loud, overly cocky voice in the back of her head hopped it did, and that Draco would kick all Claire's Pokemon's asses on his own, but she suppressed it and pressed on. "I do have a reason for being here, though. I think you might know more about it than I do, sir."

"This is true, child," said Father Sabio, "Do you have the Phantom Chest?"

Evelyn reached into her bag and pulled out the small chest before handing it to Father Sabio. The man took it into his massive, callused hands. She watched as he turned it this way and that, a wry smile playing in his beard and mustache. He ran his hand along the top, outlining one of the markings. He tapped on the one he had been examining and he leaned forward as he did so.

"Tell me, child; do you know what this is?" he asked. Evelyn raised an eyebrow.

"A chest…?" she asked dryly. She came for answers, not more questions (though she did have the feeling that she'd leave, once again, with far more queries than she had come in with.) Father Sabio chuckled.

"No, dear. This shape, right here," he said, pointing to the shape that resembled a raindrop.

"Looks like a water drop to me." She answered. Father Sabio nodded.

"That's right, though a tear drop, to be exact. It represents one of the elements your mother thought one must possess to be considered "human"."

"Which are…?" ventured Evelyn; she might as well pry what she can, since no one seemed willing to come with answer outright.

"Empathy, which is the teardrop, is considered important because it gives one the ability to understand and share an emotion with another being. The other three I'm not sure of…"

Evelyn looked at the chest, and the keyholes. One shaped like a paw, the other an eye, and atop the chest was the circular hole with a metal pin sticking out in the middle.

"When can I get the key?" Evelyn asked as Father Sabio passed her the chest once more.

"Later this evening, after you've had your bath and some supper. You will meet with our medium, who will decide if you deserve the key or not. Now, on to other matters!" he said with a smile, rising to his feet. Claire did as well, so Evelyn and Draco thought it best to follow.

"Claire here will lead you to the baths where you and your partners may relax for a while before supper. Claire, if you will…?"

"Yeah, sure…" mumbled Claire and she made a gesture for the duo to follow. She led them through another archway and into a corridor. It was eerily quiet in the tower now, but as they made a turn down some wide stairs, sounds of pots and pans and the hissing of oil and the smell of food met them. Draco's stomach managed to drown out the sounds of the kitchen and Evelyn chuckled, nudging him.

"Don't try and use hunger as a way out of a bath," she teased and Draco could only smirk and shrug. It wouldn't be the first time. Claire, much to their surprise, laughed a little too.

"Draco does that too?" she asked from ahead, turning her head to see them as they made it to the bottom of the stairs and into another corridor.

"Sometimes," Evelyn answered warily, not sure where this conversation was going. Claire just smiled.

"Toukon does that too," she said, and with that, the conversation died down. Evelyn and Draco exchanged glances as if to say "Well that was weird", because the fact was, any civility from Claire _was_ weird.

"Alright, we're underground now. Down here water Pokemon help us distill sea water and put it into reservoirs. We built a big pool for the bath, and just to warn you; there might be some other people there too," she said as they stopped in front of a wide archway with thick curtains hiding whatever was on the other side. Though it was easy to guess what; the smell of soap and incense along with the warm breath of steam and the sounds of hushed gossip.

"Wait, _what_?" Evelyn blurted, just registering what her hostess had said. Claire just raised an eyebrow.

"Calm down; it's an unwritten rule that men and women bathe at different times. Tonight's our night to bathe first, then the men. Tomorrow is the other way around. The only males in there will be Pokemon, maybe. I know Toukon should be headed down here soon. Now come on…" Claire grumbled, ushering them in as she held the veil back.

The bath room was, without a doubt, exquisite. The marble floor and walls were polished and gleaming (though she wondered if they were just wet and she made a mental note to not let her Draco run.) The room itself was octagon shaped, but what dominated the room was not something as simple as a mere "pool", as Claire had said. It was enormous! It, like the room, was octagon shaped, and must have stair-steps all around its perimeter, because some girls and Pokemon were sitting just a few feet below the surface of the bubbly, steamy waters near the edge. Evelyn counted about twenty girls in the water, not counting the dozen or so Pokemon around the room.

The rest of the room was taken up by benches and stacks of towels along the perimeter. The ceiling was decorated with thin, gossamer white cloths hanging from the rafters, giving a very clean feel to the room; quite appropriate, considering what it was. Claire nudged Evelyn and jerked her head to the side as a sign to follow. She led them to a separate room off to the side where there was, finally, an actual door. She opened it and led them in. This room was well lit and resembled something akin to a locker room, except the lockers were several rows of wooden shelves with marble benches in the aisles between them. Things were folded neatly and placed on the shelves, and Evelyn could sum up what this room was for.

"Alright," sighed Claire with all the control she had. It probably wasn't easy to play hostess to the girl you just lost too, especially not for Claire. "Here's how it works. Take everything off and wrap up in a towel. We'll head out there and leave the towels on a bench near tub while we're washing off. You can keep all your stuff here."

Evelyn's grip tightened on her bag while Draco suppressed a small growl, though he did shake his head while sporting a good, stern glare. Claire rolled her eyes and sighed.

"You're in a tower full of monks and you're worried they're going to _steal_?" she scoffed. Evelyn raised an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't expect them to, but then again, I wouldn't expect one to physically _attack_ me either…" she hissed. Claire frowned for a moment, then actually cracked a small smile (or, in Claire's case, something closer to a smirk.)

"Alright, fine, we'll leave your things on a bench out there, but keep an eye on it by yourself; I plan to actually enjoy my bath." She mumbled then turned away from the pair. Both Evelyn and Draco stiffened when she started to unbutton her robe, but she stopped and glared up at them.

"By the way, you may not want to let your Pokemon out, it looks a little crowded. Now will you stop staring and just get undressed? Sheesh…"

She then sauntered off to the other side of some shelves and they could hear her undressing from there. Evelyn turned to Draco. A very long… very awkward silence passed.

"Erm…Draco?" Evelyn said gingerly, "Could you, um…could you?"

"Wait outside?" he signed.

"Please."

Draco was more than happy to, though some part of him hated the idea. He was still drowning out the images in his head; images of possibilities that shouldn't be possible. He wasn't sure what he'd do if he saw her full-on nude at this point…not in his _new_ body.

He closed the door to the dressing room behind him and sighed, leaning against it. He was just rubbing his temples, trying to rid himself of a building migraine when a chuckle caught his attention. He glanced over to see Toukon, the Combusken, sitting on a bench on the wall near the dressing room.

"You look bushed, my friend," he said as he stood up. Draco growled in warning, but stopped when Toukon rose his hands in mock defense.

"Woah! Down boy, down!!" he laughed as he walked over to lean against the door next to Draco, who stilled looked uneasy. "It was just a battle; I'm not your "enemy" or anything. Besides, you bested me! I respect that…and so does Claire, even though she doesn't show it much."

Draco gave a wry smile at that. He saw Toukon extend his clawed hands over, and Draco took it in his for a handshake.

"So," continued Toukon when that was all finished, "You must be Draco, the mute Shamma was telling me about. She told me quite a few…_interesting_ things about you, Draco…"

Draco went ridged. Fucking pig! How much had she said to Toukon?

(I'm gonna kill her!) he growled in his own head, making a similar noise aloud. Toukon, however, only chuckled.

"Hey, it's alright. She only told me because…I have similar _issues_…" he finished awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. Draco rose an eyebrow.

"I'm not saying it's right for you, Draco, but I've had the same kind of thoughts about Claire. She's my best friend about as much as Evelyn is yours. It seems wrong, I know, and that's what I thought at first, but…" Toukon then shrugged. "Just don't entertain them if you don't love her, Draco; or if she loves you. It hurts when-"

Then he stopped abruptly and tilted his head so one side was flush against it.

"They're coming out in a second; we should save them a spot in the tub, c'mon…" Toukon mumbled before leading Draco off toward the massive pool-of-a-tub. Draco had to admit; Toukon was a pretty okay guy…now that he wasn't trying to _maul_ him. They stopped at a spot, one totally empty side of the octagon pool and stepped down into the hot water. There were, indeed, a few steps in the water; maybe three, but since Draco had to keep his tail above water, he stuck to the first step, which was a mere three feet underwater. Toukon sat in the second, which was just a few inches more so that his head stuck out of the water while Draco's whole chest did. There must have been a drop-off point somewhere after the steps, because Draco saw one woman step down a few steps before holding her breath swimming forward, stopping midway across the pool to tread water and chat with a friend.

"Ah, there they are! 'bout time, too…" grumbled Toukon, lazily moving his head to one side. Draco turned toward the door as Claire and Evelyn made their way out. Each was wrapped in a towel and Evelyn placed her bag on a bench just behind where Draco and Toukon had claimed their spot in the tub.

"Saved us a spot, Toukon? Thanks," Claire said with a genuine smile toward Toukon. It was shocking since it was spoken in a gentle tone that neither Evelyn nor Draco had heard from her before. Evelyn glanced at Draco and raised a brow. If Draco was paying any attention, he would have probably done the same, but as of the moment, he was staring at Evelyn. The towel, white and pure (so unlike his thoughts as of late that it was a blatant slap to the face) barely went to her mid-thigh. Her hair was down, which was something he always loved seeing when she took it down to sleep at night, but somehow it seemed different now that more of her ivory skin was showing in that towel than it would in her PJs.

"Alright, let's do this before it gets any more crowded in here," muttered Claire before she slipped her towel off. Draco wished he had the decency to claim he looked away out of respect, but he didn't. Claire was quite a looker, and whatever feelings Toukon claimed to have with Claire that was "similar" to his own for Evelyn were tossed out the window. Draco knew he loved Evelyn; she was the soul of his world and that terrified him, but Claire…ah, that had to be _lust_. She was just as fair-skinned as Evelyn was, though she had a few freckles here and there, and here strawberry blonde hair came down in slight waves to the small of her back. Ah, but if only her hair was what caught his attention. Nope; it was the ample, soft-looking, and quite impressive chest she sported so well.

On a scale of chest size, Draco had managed to narrow things down. In dead last, bless her heart, was Lisa, who had possible A-cups going for her. Following her, the most recent addition to his list, was Fiona. Enemy or no enemy, she had an okay pair of breasts. Following her was Evelyn, though Draco reserved where she went on the list, since he hadn't Evelyn's since she had barely hit puberty, and they were sure to be different by now. Claire, on the other hand, left them all behind. Not the largest in the world, no, but they were the pair that just stole your attention. Claire walked into the pool, waist deep on the first step just a few feet away from Draco.

"The egg will be fine for a while, just leave it," she said over Draco's shoulder. He frowned and turned to see who he was talking to.

The water was warm, but he suddenly had shivers.

Evelyn stood near their bench and tucked her towel around the egg before walking toward the pool in all her naked glory. There were things in this world one needs to be _eased_ into, not suddenly _thrown_ into. Things like marriage, parenthood, the military, and Draco seeing his female best friend bare-ass naked. It was official, though; Evelyn was just about tied with Claire on Draco's scale, perhaps above. Claire's had a slight size advantage, but Evelyn's still had a nice amount, plus perkiness. Through the steam in the room, Draco was sure her little pink nipples were hard only to stare at him and tease him for what he wanted to do to them.

"Oh, wait! We forgot to shut the door, can you close it?" Claire said over her shoulder, too busy having her hair scrubbed by Toukon (both parties seemed rather distracted.)

"Yeah, sure," replied Evelyn, turning around just a few feet from the pool...

(WHY, LEGENDS, WHY?! WHAT DID I DO?!) Screamed Draco in his own head as he watched Evelyn walk toward the dressing room's door to close it. He hadn't even looked at Claire's backside, but now he knew he couldn't, for every ass he saw from that moment on would forever be compared to the cute and well-rounded one he watched saunter away just then. Mental restraint was the only thing that kept Draco from enacting what was playing in his head. What would it be like, if he could just bend her over one of these benches and have her? If only she had to get something from her bag; she would kneel down to get it, bending over to rummage through the bag. He could bend himself to mold her and from there feel that ample ass enveloping his-

"So did I miss anything?" Evelyn cut through, throwing Draco violently from his daydream. He shook his head as Evelyn stepped into the water, sitting on the second step so that her shoulders were just above water. He thanked the stars above that she sat with her back to him, where he couldn't see cleavage. That is, until she sat with her back between his knees, so very close him. He groaned and plopped his head backward, resting on the floor outside the bath. He wished the water were cold…

"Draco, you alright?" Evelyn asked, turning toward him a little. She brought a hand to rest on his knee and Draco felt himself jump.

"Woah- seriously, Draco; are you tired? I'm sorry; if you needed to nap, go ahead, but give me your tail so you won't accidentally give _it_ a bath," she offered, holding her hand out. Draco relaxed and shook his head, holding up a hand to turn the offer down. Instead, he sat up straight, back against the wall, and tried to keep as far away from her as possible. She gave him a small smile, but she still looked worried as she turned toward Claire and Toukon. The pair didn't look half as awkward as they did; Claire was on the second step now, Toukon on the first with Claire resting between his legs as Evelyn did with Draco, the only difference being that Claire was leaning fully against Toukon. Draco felt sympathy for him; poor guy looked tortured and Claire only smiled a rather…_knowing_ smile…

(Oh-shit…Eve was right; she is something that rhymes with "Weevil Switch"…) Draco thought with a smirk.

"Hey Claire?" asked Evelyn as she was washing her ebony hair. Now that it was wet, it reached about mid-back, as opposed to when it was try and wavy.

"Hmm?" murmured Claire. It was odd, seeing her so calm. Hostility had always been part of her persona, and dare Evelyn admit it…her charm.

"Why are you being so…" she looked for the right word. "Nice" did cut it here… "Normal?"

Evelyn flinched as soon as it was out; not the right word at all. Claire frowned at her and Evelyn quickly held her hands up in defense.

"What I meant to say is…you're just acting differently," she corrected. Claire rose and eyebrow and sighed.

"You beat me," she put simply, as though that answered everything. When Evelyn only gave her a blank stare, Claire elaborated. "I shouldn't do it, but you know I'm not a nice person-"

"Claire, I didn't say tha-"

"Evelyn, will you stop trying to be diplomatic? Where was that _fire_ I saw in you half an hour ago when I called you Draco's whore?"

Evelyn froze at Draco's feet, not meeting his gaze though he could see the blood pooling at her cheeks.

(So _that's_ what started the fight…) Draco mused. Evelyn cleared her throat.

"That's different-"

"No, it's not," Claire continued, "Let me explain. I'm not a nice person- Shut up, Evelyn, I'm _not_! That's okay, because I can work with it. If you piss off people, they tend to genuinely want to fight you and not pussy-foot around. That's what I want! A real fight that pushes you beyond what you thought were your limitations…I'm not saying I'm a bitch on purpose. I've just made a purpose out of being a bitch…"

Evelyn frowned, letting this fact sink in before replying, "So you're just being nice now because you don't want to fight us?"

"Exactly…though I will fight you again, some day. Just not today…"

An awkward moment passed in the group before, surprisingly, Claire broke the silence.

"Are we…like, _friends_ now or something?" she asked. Evelyn looked startled at the question.

"Erm…I thought we always were…sort of." She answered. Claire chuckled.

"Friends that throw insults at each other and fight constantly?"

"Is there any other kind?"

They shared a smile that seemed to clear the atmosphere between them. Evelyn then tilted her head to the side and frowned at Claire.

"You look like you have a question…" Claire mused. Evelyn nodded. "Well ask!"

"I want to, but I really don't want to pry and be rude," Evelyn confessed. Claire laughed.

"You can't get any ruder than calling someone a "weevil switch"," she laughed. Evelyn snorted.

"Good point…" she mumbled before choosing her words carefully. "Claire…what happened to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…how did you get to this tower? Why do you fight like you do?"

"We just went over the second one; I'm a bitch! It's how things work for me!"

"No; that kind of technique is a _means_…not an _end_…"

"I wish you weren't so fucking smart, Evelyn…"

A moment passed where Claire glared at Evelyn, though not out of anger since her eyes seem unfocused. She was contemplating her answer.

"I guess I can answer both those question in one…huh," she said with a smile, as though this was the first time these questions crossed her mind. "It's a long story though…"

"I can handle getting pruned," Evelyn laughed, wiggling her already-getting-water-wrinkled fingers. Claire sighed.

"Alright…I guess it begins the day we left Fortree. I set out to find Moltres-"

"Why?"

"You know, this story telling bullshit doesn't go both ways," Claire chastised. Evelyn bit her lower lip, a silent promise to be quiet.

"Anyway- to answer that…Moltres is more or less my hero. It's said that Moltres only respects the most powerful trainers, and I wanted to be a powerful trainer. I wanted to meet Moltres, if only for a moment. I don't know why…maybe it was just my fascination with fire-types. Whatever it is, I feel drawn to it…so I pulled together a team as fast as I could. I think I was the first to have six, actually. I battle Blake- you remember Blake?"

Evelyn only nodded, still chewing on her bottom lip.

"Yeah, anyway, I kicked his ass and he didn't seem too happy about it. Haven't seen him since, but the point is that I had six, and he didn't. We were the two most competitive in the class; I doubt anyone else had six so I felt like it was time to move on to serious training. I knew Moltres wasn't going to respect me if I couldn't win any battle I got myself into, so I had to be _ruthless_. For years I waited, but it never came, so I went looking for it. That's how I found trouble.

"I went looking at obvious places. Mountains, volcanoes- shit like that. I came to Mt. Chimney to look. I remember every bit of it; because at the time, I thought I was gonna die. I was there late at night, or really early in the morning; hell, I don't know. Anyway, no one else was around and I had worked hard to get there and once more, no Moltres. So I was just about to leave when the ground shook, and by shook I mean gave a huge jerk, like being pulled by a rope. I remember falling and tumbling down the embankment and into the crater. A ledge the size of a fucking wheelbarrow stopped me a few yards from the lava. As happy as I was that I wasn't incinerated, my luck still wasn't that great.

"The ground kept giving these rumbles, but no huge jerks, thank Legends. The lava was way too close, and the air was too thick and hot. I swear the hairs on my arms were getting singed, and I was banged up pretty good from the fall. I was going to reach into my bag and get a Pokemon, but my bag wasn't there. I freaked out at first; I thought I'd dropped it into the lava. Thank Legends it was just out of reach, the strap caught on a sharp ledge. If it fell, it would have fallen toward me, so I felt better at that. Still, I sweat like a pig as it is, but the heat there was unbearable. I shouted for help, but of course, no one came.

"I have no idea how long I stayed there like that, but…things started to get hazy. I just remember how fucking hot it was. After a while, it was hard to breathe and everything hurt, so I sat down against the side of the crater and just waited to die. That's when the weirdest part happened. I've told others before, but they think it was just heat stroke. Out of no-where a huge…submarine-drill "thing comes crashing through the lava. It was black and had something written on it, but my vision was too blurry, so I have no idea what it was. Anyway, something came out right after it. It was…it looked like a spider, I guess, but with four legs. It was red and silver, I think, and it jumped onto the side of the crater just a few yards to the side of me and began climbing toward the top.

"The next thing I remember was a big net of some kind just wrapped itself around the creature and jerked it off the cliff and back into the lava. It must have been connected to that submarine-thing because when it went down, the creature went with it…and I was alone again. It was bizarre, and I'm starting to think I just went weird for a while. Maybe it was heatstroke. One thing that wasn't, though, was my rescue. The reason I'm here…I wish I could remember it better since I didn't know at the time, but I passed out some time in that crater so the images and sensations come and go with consciousness, so bear with me…

"I remember a lot of wind flowing into the crater, in beats and waves and a heart. Then a pressure like being wrapped up tight in a big blanket. Then the feeling like I was floating and I smelled the ocean, which was weird, cuz we were nowhere near the fucking ocean. Then I woke up here…"

She smiled, as if that was a perfect end to the story, but Draco and Evelyn exchanged glances before glaring at Claire.

"And…?" implored Evelyn.

"And what?" countered Claire, feigning innocence. Whatever it was, it was good…

"Who saved you?"

"Moltres."

A really long silence passed between the group where all Draco and Evelyn could do was stare and process it all.

"Seriously…?" whispered Evelyn. Claire's smile widened.

"Yep. I don't know why. Father Sabio said Moltres was fond of me, and had been for a while. I had no idea. He also told me, though, that I still wasn't ready to really meet him. I had to train, and understand "what the passion and fire of battle was meant for" or whatever the fuck that means. So I battle, and try and figure out what the point of it is…He said Moltres thought it best if I stay here for a while to recover and practice. I think if I beat the headmasters of the council upstairs, I'll finally get to see Moltres…but Father Sabio said I should consider other paths. I'm on an island; the only path here is in a circle!"

Evelyn chuckled and played absently with some floating bubbles as she thought. They stayed there, chit-chatting the suds and bubbles away until they were the last ones in the tub. Finally Claire had to end the party.

"We need to get to supper, we're gonna be late…" she sighed before standing up. Draco had promised himself to look away this time, so he stared at a floating rubber Psyduck as Claire and Evelyn got up to go get dressed again. Once they closed the door, Draco rose from the water and dried off.

In the dressing room, Evelyn went through her bag quickly, since she hadn't actually kept an eye on it. She was a one-track person, so watching a bag and listening to a conversation at the same time was a no-go. Without warning there was a sudden SNAP and a sharp pain on her right butt cheek.

"Ow!" she cried, turning around quickly, covering her ass with her hands as pressing her back against the shelves. Claire was there, smiling and holding her wet towel that she had just used to rat-tail Evelyn.

"Oh-relax! You need to hurry and dress, C'mon! I'll meet you outside." Said Claire. She was about to head toward the door when she stopped and gave Evelyn and up-and-down look, stopping near her navel. Feeling a little uncomfortable, Evelyn started to dress, beginning with panties.

"You look like you have a question, Claire…" Evelyn said. Claire smile, a hand on her hip.

"You shave?" she asked. Evelyn didn't need the specifics on the region in question, considering Claire was just staring at it.

"Yeah, why?" Evelyn asked, eyes narrowing. Claire smiled.

"Long story."

"Tell it then."

"I would, but I don't feel like answering questions."Claire said with a sigh and made her way to the door.

"I won't ask any; like you said, the storytelling doesn't go both ways." Evelyn tried to reason. Claire only gave her a very mischievous smirk.

"No, it doesn't," she said as she pulled the door open, and just before she left she added, "But I do."

Draco had no idea why Evelyn was blushing all the way to the tips of her ears when she came out, he was just relieved she was clothed and well. Food. Food and sleep and he wouldn't have to think about this again. Evelyn and Draco followed the pair along corridors and stairs, this time heading up a bit, until they came to the dining hall. At this point, Evelyn wasn't surprised by how grandiose the tower was. The hall was long, and kept to a very marble-Roman theme, aside from the four long tables set low to the ground and all the monks sitting on cushions along them. Claire led Draco and Evelyn to the front table.

It was thinner and shorter than the other four, but was faced so those who used it could look at everyone else. Evelyn and Draco felt their stomachs rumble with hunger at the smell of all the food that lined the tables. Claire sat down on one side of Father Sabio, who sat in the center of the head table. He motioned for Evelyn and Draco to sit on his other side. Evelyn unstrapped the egg pouch so that it could still sit in her lap against her skin, but did not restrict her. Sitting was rather uncomfortable with it. Once settled, Father Sabio implored Evelyn to release her Pokemon to fill up the other half of the table.

"Holy-Heracross, it smells good in here!" groaned Richard when he sat down next to Draco.

"Crude, but I second that comment!" sighed Alvaro. Issac would have spoken, if he wasn't face-down in a large bowl of mashed potatoes. No one else was eating, but no one seemed keen on stopping him. The best comment he had was something along the lines of "Qua-om-nom-nom-nom-"

Draco laughed and turned to Evelyn and was surprised to see her looking worried, scanning the masses. He nudged her and gave her a frown.

"I was wondering where Sly is."

"Oh, no worries, child," rumbled the voice of Father Sabio next to Evelyn, clearly catching their conversation, "He's gone to the mainland and he'll be back in the morning. He brings us what we can't grown ourselves in our greenhouses further up the tower. He also brings new members for our congregation and takes those that think they're ready to leave back to the mainland. Now forgive me, but I must address my flock for a moment."

Father Sabio then rose to his feet and the room became hushed. Not shocking, since it was fairly quiet to begin with.

"My children, as usual, it pleases me to no end to see you are all healthy and with us this evening. Our dear friend Sly brought us a few guests to our tower and I hope you welcome them with open arms."

He made a sweeping hand motion to Evelyn and Draco and all the others. The room broke into jovial cheers and applause. Evelyn felt heat on her face, but smiled and waved all the same. Draco just grumbled and rolled his eyes before sitting back on his hands to wait until they could eat. He envied Issac…Richard nearly jumped onto the table and took the applause while Alvaro did his best to bow.

"Yes-yes, I'm well aware of why you lot are so excited. No doubt many of you witnessed the battle today, and it truly was an epic event, was it not?"

The cheering erupted again and Evelyn couldn't help but feel that they were blowing this way out of proportion. Father Sabio calmed them down before he continued.

"Furthermore, we've lost some members. Eric and Nessie left us for the outside world and take with them all they have learned. Let us have a moment of silence and wish them luck on their journey and that we have helped them on their way through life."

Everyone at that point bowed their heads and became still. Evelyn and Draco copied them, as did Richard and Alvaro. The room was silent…aside from Issac's "om-nom-nom-nom-" which, again, people seemed to just ignore.

"Alright! Now enough of that; let's feast!" declared Father Sabio, and the steady sound of silverware and clinking glass ensued as the congregation started eating. Evelyn and Draco followed suit. A few minutes in, and one would have thought they were in a battle zone. At some point, Evelyn grabbed Draco by the horn and pulled him back some. He cut her a look, but she countered with one just as fierce.

"If you were any further in your food, you'd be Issac," she said, pointing down to the Quagsire now blowing bubbles from the bottom of a soup-bowl. Evelyn handed Draco a fork and a knife. Grumbling, he begrudgingly ate like a gentleman. He had to admit, the food was good. He was used to Evelyn's cooking, which he still preferred. Evelyn was many things; clean-freak but unorganized, loving to others but forgetful, and last but not least, a damn fine cook. Draco tried to cook once…and he still felt sorry for setting half a forest on fire.

Evelyn smiled and watched her friends eat. Every so often she'd catch one of them doing something naughty, like Richard reaching for another steak. She grabbed her fork and smacked his little clawed hand.

"I haven't seen you eat a _single_ green thing yet!" she hissed. "I don't care if it's borderline cannibalism; eat some _veggies_, damn it! If you don't you'll get constipated- Don't laugh at that word, sheesh! It'll travel up your spine and into your brain; that's how you get shitty-ideas!"

Draco snorted into his soup, nearly choking on it with laughter. He knew she was kidding, but that didn't stop him from enjoying it when she chastised someone else.

"Alvaro, being _dead_ isn't an excuse for you either! You don't need bread _and_ pasta; two starches? Eat some meat, damn it. Don't give me that look; yes, I know meat is _dead_. It's better than the other way around. It does NOT qualify as cannibalism anymore than Richard's- _Richard! Stop feeding your peas to Issac!_"

She was always this motherly, even if it was annoying. She was only forgetful when it came to her, which annoyed Draco sometimes, but he figured that was only fair. She looks after everyone; he should look after her. Finally, as is usually, Draco cut in by pinching Evelyn in the side. Big mistake…

"Ow!" she gasped at a sudden pain on her side, jumping a little and banging her knee against the table. Father Sabio looked to her.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Evelyn and Draco were looking at her side where his claws had left a good cut in her skin just below her ribs. The blood was beginning to ooze out, but Evelyn quickly flashed Father Sabio a very convincing smile.

"Nothing! My leg fell asleep, that's all!" she said quickly. Father Sabio frowned but nodded.

"You'll be off to bed soon. After dinner, we see the medium and then you can sleep. We'll talk about what to do from there afterward."

Evelyn nodded as he turned back to a conversation with Claire. Then she grabbed a cloth napkin quickly and held it to her side. Draco was frantically signing "I'm sorry!" over and over so fast it was almost a blur until Evelyn placed her free hand on his and stopped him.

"Hey! It's alright! New body, new catches, it's alright! You'll have to learn how to be gentle, that's all. Maybe pinch with the dull parts of you claws? The backs of them maybe?"

Draco just nodded, barely registering what she said as he moved the cushion he was sitting on to an angle where he could hold the cloth to her and leave her hands free, ignoring her protests of "Drake, I can do it mys- you don't have to-"

"Fine," she sighed in defeat, then frowned, "What'd you pinch me for anyway?"

Draco rolled his eyes. The same thing he always pinched her for at dinnertime. He glared at her empty plate on the table. As if to agree, he both heard and felt her stomach growl. Evelyn gave a small "oh…" before pulling some food onto her plate and eating like a normal person should. Draco just kept pressure on the wound.

(What have I done? The _fuck_ happened- I…) Draco's mind was befuddled. He hadn't pinched her that hard, had he? Damn this new body! Thoughts he could at least ignore to avoid hurting her, but this was unexpected and unfair! Now he couldn't even _touch_ her?

(Calm down, it's not your fault…) came an exasperated thought. Draco turned to see Shamma the Grumpig sitting behind Father Sabio, as if she was hiding. He frowned.

(What's with you?) he asked. She snorted.

(Nothing; now what about you? She already forgave you, what are you so worried about?)

(I didn't mean to! I did- I never wanted to-)

(I know you didn't. SHE knows you didn't, so what's the problem?)

Draco didn't reply. Shamma didn't seem please with his silence, so she got up and was about to walk past before she added.

(Oh…how'd you like the bathes?)

(Oh, why don't you go put an apple in your mouth and lie on a plate!)

She laughed hysterically all the way out of the hall. When the meal was done and Evelyn had covertly dabbed water on the now-clotted wound to eliminate dry blood before she re-attached the egg pouch, she and Father Sabio rose up. The monks seemed to be picking up places and carrying them to another room to clean. Father Sabio led Evelyn and Draco to the corridor outside the dining hall again and they followed him up the stairs. The stairs went up and up and up…Evelyn groaned. Not only was she tired, but she was still carrying her things. Whatever was up there had better be good…

"Try not to get too exited," Father Sabio said, as if he was reading her mind. "If you pass, you will only get one of the keys; it will not open the chest. Not until you have all of them. But we do have information you need…"

"_If_ I pass," Evelyn edited in a tired voice. Draco grunted to agree with her tone. Father Sabio smiled as they reached a landing.

"Yes, _if_ you pass…"

"Are we going to the top?" asked Evelyn.

"No. There's no stairs to the top in the tower."

"What?"

"No stairs. It can only be reached by a flying type Pokemon. That way, a human alone can't get there."

"What's up there that's so important?"

"Ah!" shouted Father Sabio with glee, coming to a halt in front of another veiled archway. "Here we are."

He led them into a room that was shockingly modestly sized. Cozy with warm colors of cream and red littered the room along with a few sitting pillows here and there. A new incense filled the room, one that made Evelyn feel oddly lightheaded and unsteady. The room was rectangular and at the very end was a small altar with a plump velvet cushion on top. Above that slept an Espeon. Father Sabio ushered them in and had them kneel on cushions in front of the altar. Then he too knelt, just to side of it, but faced the Espeon.

"Forgive me, Alkier, but the Lien is here," he said and the Espeon stirred. Evelyn frowned; there was that word again. The Espeon stood on his cushion and stretched before sitting back. His face was wrinkled and graying in a way that made him seem almost human.

Without warning, an echoing male voice spoke inside both Evelyn and Draco's minds. (Companionship…love…something incredible not yet untapped. You are, indeed, worthy of this test. First, I need to see you deeper; relax and let me into your mind. I will see what you have seen, heard what you have, and feel as you do. Close your eyes now, and relax…)

Evelyn could barely stay awake. Keeping relaxed wouldn't pose an issue here. There was something about this particular incense, she was sure. It made her body feel like dead weight, and her mind hazy. She did as she was told and closed her eyes. From there, the voice from before was so much clearer.

(Amazing…it is like seeing an old friend, yet not so. Oh, young one, you are quite promising, I assure you that. Now let us see if you have what is required for me to bequeath this gift unto you.)

Her head swarmed suddenly into a flurry of memories and snippets of her life. Until it came to an abrupt halt and her eyes flew open. The Espeon, Alkier, had a tired sort of smile, but a happy one too.

"Did I pass?" she murmured, feeling tired still. The Espeon nodded and hopped down from the cushion. Father Sabio then stood and removed the cushion to revile that the altar…was no altar. He removed the lid off of it to show the inside was hallow, then gestured for her and Draco to come forth. Inside were silk sheets and atop them were a strange little, blue-silver trinket and a twelve inch long cylinder.

"Take the key first," said Father Sabio, pointing at the blue trinket. Evelyn reached forward and picked it up. It was shaped like a tear-drop. It was just the size of the palm of her hand and had bulk to it. It was sky blue on the front and silver at the back and on its design. One side smooth and blank silver and the other with a raised silver swirl design down the blue drop, like water whirling from the tip of the drip to the center. Along its side was a faint line, as though it opened, but had no hinges. Then she turned it to see one small hole on its side, right on the line. She frowned and looked at Father Sabio.

"It opens." He said simply. "Bring out the chest."

She reached back and took it out while Father Sabio reached into the hallowed altar and plucked out the foot-long cylinder, before replacing the lid to the altar. Evelyn put the chest on top and gave the key to Father Sabio when he motioned for it.

"Now pay close attention. Forget all the archaic, ritualistic behaviors of this temple; we do that simply to stay focused on our work. This right here is a VERY complicated bit of technology, not some simple chest. Watch now, because this is how all the keys are opened and placed in, and I won't be there to help you."

He then took the key and turned it on its side so that the small hole was facing down. He brought it to the circular design atop the chest and pushed it so the pin in the center pushed through the hole. The keyholes and all their lines and divots began to glow and surge like a heartbeat, each a different color. The teardrop was blue, the paw was red, the eye was green and the circle atop was golden. It did this only for a few moments before the key Father Sabio held gave a small crack and the smooth back of it fell off. Along with it were a few scattered pieces of paper stashed inside that Evelyn recognized right away. She nearly dove for them.

"Stop!" hissed Father Sabio, "We'll get those in a moment, now look."

He turned the key, now missing its backing, so she could see the insides. It was true…it was all technology alright. It was filled with green chips and gold brackets and other such assortments. Evelyn wouldn't entertain the thought that she understood any of it, but she had a feeling of what to do. Father Sabio handed it to her and she placed it, ever so gently, into the teardrop keyhole, the green chips pointed inward. She gave it a small push and it clicked into place. The chest did the same glowing show it had before, but this time, when the glowing stopped, the blue teardrop key, Empathy, continued to glow blue, on and off slowly, fading off and on smoothly.

She smiled and looked up at Father Sabio, who had retrieved the bits of paper. He opened the cylinder as Evelyn took the papers on the altar top. Scurrying with excitement, she reached into her bag and pulled out the tin that started this whole damn adventure. She opened it and dumped the papers on the altar and tried to sort them into something that made sense. Disappointment reared its ugly head when it still didn't. No new words really helped. Things like "respect" and "LCM" had little meaning, but a few did catch her eye. Things like "DNA" and most importantly a two word piece- "your father". She felt her heart jump a beat. All the pieces, as usual, were cut from the same, poster-paper; hard and sturdy but bendable. Each cut specifically…like a puzzle.

She sighed and gave up trying to make sense of it. Father Sabio just gave her a gentle smile and held out the cylinder to her.

"What is this?" she asked. Inside was a just black velvet side. It was thinner than a thermos, but made of chrome and was completely empty.

"It's for the papers she left you. It's a hardy thing, better than a tin. You should put everything in there from now on."

Evelyn nodded and did as she was told. She kept all the pictures in the tin, though. No way in hell she was going to throw that out; not even the smallest gift from her mother. Father Sabio then handed the chest to Evelyn and sat atop the altar. Alkier jumped back to sit next to him.

"Now…I imagine you have questions. Keep in mind; we can only answer what we know, and we've lived on this island most our lives." Father Sabio said gently. Alkier nodded in agreement. Evelyn and Draco were staring at the steady glow of the key on the face of the chest, mesmerized, but contemplating. Finally, Evelyn frowned and looked up.

"What happened to the towers?" she asked. "I know there was corruption…but what could be so bad that it brings three of the four Towers of Knowledge down with it?"

"All consuming power, I think. It started in the Onyx Tower a few years back, maybe a decade or two. Someone inside was using the power of their knowledge as a means to an end, which was forbidden. The towers were created to learn for the sake of learning, not gain. The Onyx Tower was designed to research and discover the more…I want to say "magical" aspects of Pokemon strength. How they get stronger and how they do what they do, put bluntly. The fall of their loyalty came in one simple and abominable atrocity on their part; a crime against nature they created through their studies. It is something that's now been re-done and re-done since they've sold their research to power hungry factions."

(Shadow Pokemon) surmised Alkier psychically.

"The Onyx Tower discovered Shadow Pokemon?" asked Evelyn.

"No, no discovered; created. Monstrosities, really. Anyway, they used them for mostly monetary gain, but there was a deeper want, a bigger greed. Every dark person wants the world, and through the knowledge of all the towers, they knew they could get it. They attacked Granite Tower first, which surrendered quickly. They were the researchers of Pokemon health and welfare in order to continue populations and breed. They were the ones who began research on the proper cloning of Pokemon."

Evelyn felt her body go cold, and from Draco's sudden flinch, he did too. Shadow Pokemon were bad enough…but an army of them?

"There was a downside, though…the clones never lived quite right…"

"What? Cloning is done all the time now, how'd they screw up?"

"I'm afraid I don't know. Whatever they were trying to clone, it wasn't just Shadow Pokemon or normal Pokemon; something different. Something they needed Opal Tower's research for. Opal tower refused. They researched the Shinies, you know. They had made a breakthrough, last I heard, about why Shinies are so special, aside from color. Apparently, there is something important about them that can help the Onyx Tower complete whatever plans they have."

Evelyn sighed and placed the chest on the floor for a moment so she could rub her eyes. Exhaustion didn't help her focus any.

"What about…this tower?" she asked.

"What about it…?" countered Father Sabio.

"Don't they want anything from you too?"

"Oh, naturally, but they dare not approach a tower defended by the Legends…not yet, anyway. They grow in power. I don't how long we can live in peace and quiet here."

"But what-"

(Isn't it obvious…?) came Alkier's voice. He wasn't really looking at anyone. Evelyn could see just how tired he was; how long had he been guarding this key? Draco nudged her suddenly.

"They want the Legends," he signed. She felt the ice in her stomach again.

"Oh no…"

"Don't worry; it hasn't happened yet. Still, it is troublesome. Or, it would be if they could get whatever's missing from their plans, otherwise, we're fine."

The image was still in her head, though. An army of Shadow-Cloned Legends…the world wouldn't be able to handle it!

"Alright, that's quite enough for one night! I'll be sure to take you back to your room now and Sly will be back for you in the morning. Up now…"

They all rose to their feet. Evelyn gave Alkier a small bow of respect, very grateful for his patience and his approval. He smiled and bowed back. Just as she was walking out the door, however, Evelyn remembered something that was bothering her. She turned back and spoke through her mind, praying the Espeon was listening.

(Alkier, may I ask just one more question?)

(Surely, my child. What is it?)

(A word I want to know. Something I keep being called…What does Lien mean?)

The Espeon smiled a knowing smile and answered simply, (The Link.)

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**Chapter End Notes:**

_As usual; PLEASE REVIEW!_

_Random Fact:__ I get to see the next Twilight movie on the 18th! =D The book's okay; I'm excited about the WEREWOLVES!_

_Next Chapter:__**Jubilee (Part I)**_

_Everyone needs a little vacation! This time, the gang gets separated so the humans can have some alone time while Pokemon go and play_


	11. Jubilee Part I

Festivals are meant to be fun and exciting, right? Not awkward, or exhausting, or confusing. Unfortunately, that's usually how they end up. At least some "shopping" gets done...

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Chapter 11

**Jubilee (Part I)**

**

* * *

**

Less than an hour after their appointment with Alkier, the pair took it upon themselves to relax more before bed and made their way down to the baths. Draco groaned as he relaxed in the waters of the bath. He and Evelyn were in the bathhouse, now void of other occupants…leaving them completely alone. She was sitting on the shelf below him, unnaturally close, but her back to him. They had talked for a while about the day's events but soon found themselves in a lack for words and silence fell over the tired paired. So they simply continued to soak…

He smiled, since Evelyn was turned ever-so-slightly so he could see her face. She had a very curious look on her features as she batted a barge of bubbles. Draco couldn't remember how they ended up in here, but he wasn't complaining. They could both use some relaxation after the stressful day they had. Evelyn was acting very strange, though. She kept playing with the bubbles and glancing at him with a smile and a blush before looking away. Her eyes were unfocused; thinking while she was harassing the groups of bubbles. Draco shrugged it off and simply admired the moment…

Then, without warning, she slowly turned around to face him and he averted his gaze. Even alone, Draco tried to give her some respect…for a few moments, anyway, before giving in. He raked his gaze over her, unabashed and enjoying every detail. She was smiling at him in a very odd way as she came a bit closer, their bodies' mere inches away. She reached a hand up and, with a feathery touch, ran her fingertips along his neck, then his collar bone, along his chest and arms. Her touch was so different from their regular contact; old hugs and pats on the head replaced with this exquisite torture. Legends, why was she doing this? He was barely holding back the urge to take her as it was!

"Oh Draco, you handsome devil, you," she spoke. His composure finally snapped, if only marginally. He grabbed her arms and pulled her as close as he could manage. She stiffened when she was suddenly pulled into his lap and she pulled back abruptly. Draco's heart sank with gut wrenching guilt. Then she smiled a very curious smile while looking down at his lap. Draco followed her gaze to see his own cock; pink, hard and ready, just peeking above the top of the water. He felt his face flush and was happy it didn't show. He was contemplating moving to cover himself, but something about the look she had stopped him. A look he recognized; when she smiled and chewed on her bottom lip a little as she studied something or read a book she was _really_ enjoying.

Like an idiot, Draco opened his mouth to say something, and then remembered he couldn't. Not that he'd have the chance because she quickly pushed herself back against him, bodies closer than ever. It was overwhelming, the warmth that engulfed him when she leapt into him, her soft breasts pushed against his chest. Her hands were resting on his arms and a coy smile played on her lips. He growled in frustration when he felt her move more into his lap, a very soft and slick part of her grinding against a very hard and neglected part of him. He glared up at her, clenching his jaw in order to not flex his claws, currently cradling her hips. She only smirked and pushed on his shoulders a bit, forcing him to lean back so that his back was against the wall of the tub in a corner, but she continued to straddle him.

With her sitting on his lap and him leaning back, he was granted a fantastic view of her body. Her face was flushed and her eyes were lidded heavily. Better still her chest moved with every breath she took, her breasts right along with it. Perky and soft-looking, Draco yearned to lean up and lick one of the little taught, hard pink nipples. Unfortunately, she had other areas on her mind. Draco hissed when she made the same grinding move against him, only this time in this position, he got to _see _it. Between her milky thighs was what any male with half a brain would want; a hot, wet centre, its lips against his cock, teasing it to throbbing. Did she know what she was doing to him?

One look at her face and the glint in those violet eyes said yes…she did. If she didn't stop, if she didn't back away, Draco was going to do something they'd regret, but if she wanted it…ugh! She leaned down, her front now pushing into him once more, her soft breast against his chest, under which his heart pounded. Did she want this? She had to, the way she kept grinding teasingly against him, now focusing more toward the tip of his member, enticing it to "come on in". All doubts were dashed, though, when she pressed her face in to nuzzle lovingly at his neck, and he felt her kiss it.

"Draco…" she sighed. He hated this teasing, but it was too sweet to let go, so he held her tighter still.

"Draco!" she shouted, her hand tightening on his shoulder. He let of her abruptly, wondering if he had held her too tightly.

"DRACO!"

His eyes snapped open and he shot up from the bed, gasping for breath as though he'd been pulled from a nightmare. The room was illuminated with the sun of the late morning, his blankets were bunched up at his waist, and Evelyn was half sitting, fully clothed, next to him on the edge of the bed. Her hand was on his shoulder for a moment more before she pulled it back, frowning at him.

"Finally! You have any idea how hard it is to get you up? I called you, like, three times, and I guess shaking you doesn't do much," she said, then sighed, "C'mon, we're running late. Can I meet you in the dining hall?"

Draco nodded numbly. She smiled and leaned in, kissing his cheek before bounding up, quite energized and excited, and all but skipped out the door. The moment it closed behind her Draco shouted a strangled snarl into the room before flopping back down on the bed. He rubbed his eyes gingerly with the backs of his claws and tried to clear his head. It was a dream…all a dream…Funny, some of it just felt so real. Everything did, right down to her touches, her breath. He could even SMELL her breath. With a sigh he picked his head up to look down his body at the lump of sheets at his hips. He lifted them up, not surprised to see a good bit of a mess he'd made. Good thing they were only here for that one night…

Evelyn, despite her cheerful mood, couldn't help but be a little worried about Draco as she descended stairways and walked through corridors. Even the breeze from the ocean on the outer walkways couldn't distract her for more than a second. Something seemed off about him, which was odd since he had been sleeping just fine through the night. Odd because when she woke and left to dress she returned and it looked like he was having a nightmare. She shrugged as she made her way into the dining hall. At least she had a peaceful sleep. More so than usual, in fact. She smiled as she remembered exactly why…

At some time in the wee hours of the morning, Evelyn stretched herself awake while the early morning sunlight invaded the room. It had certainly been a long night, but for once, not an unpleasant one. It was strange, to once again have more questions and few answers, but she was too damn comfortable to really care now. As she stretched, arching her back like a cat, she came to an abrupt halt when something solid and warm met her back.

Evelyn's eyes shot open, making her recoil at first from the sunlight, despite that it was fairly weak as the sun bathed the room in the pinks and light purples of morning. It carried with it the strong smell of the ocean and the sound of waves and birds into the room. Even with all that, all Evelyn could hear was the soft snoring behind her. All she could smell was a warm, strong scent she'd grown to love and expect, though not as strong and pronounced in its presence as it was just then.

Ever so gently, so as not to wake him, Evelyn turned to meet her bed partner. It was so surreal having him there like that. She knew things would be different, but judging by the warmth of his front against her and the thick smell of smoke and sandalwood, she'd underestimated just how different it would be. He was facing her, sound asleep, with his head further up the pillow, making Evelyn eye-level with his neck. She took this time to give him a small once over, really appreciating this new body of his. It was shocking to wake up to your best friend spooning with you, but not at all unpleasant for her. She watched him swallow in his sleep, and something under the taught lines and muscles of his neck moved. Evelyn frowned and waited for him to swallow again. When he did, she followed the movement more closely than before. She saw it and smiled.

(An Adam's apple?) she mused, moving her free left hand to grace her fingertips over it. She was speechless, even in her own head. Draco had an Adam's apple? She let her eyes wander, her fingertips not far behind. Over his collarbone, his broader shoulders, over the curves and dips of his muscular arms. Such a dramatic change. The awe of it was not entirely lost on her when her other Pokemon evolved, but with Draco it felt almost like…Well, like a gift. The gift of being very good-looking, she thought.

"Oh Draco, you handsome devil you," she sighed.

Draco let out a deep moan and shifted his weight, pushing himself to be flushed against her. That was when Evelyn felt a new kind of gift. It was hot, and hard, and pressed against her stomach. She swallowed hard, debating on whether or not to look. It was normal, wasn't it? He was male, and it was the morning after all…but it was so strange! Draco, who had stayed little while she grew. She was happy he'd evolved. She was beginning to hate herself for her own growth spurts. Like her body was leaving him behind, letting her enjoy the wonders of growing up while he did not.

Still, though she was happy for him and appreciated his new body, the shock had given her a curiosity she'd never had before. Like the internal battle she was currently having; a fight between respecting his privacy and just peeking under the covers. The latter of the two won out when she felt the smallest bit of moisture touch her belly where he was.

Oh so carefully she lifted the sheets and peered down. Even in the dim light she could still see that tell-tale bulge just a ways under his navel. The skin of his lower belly acted, basically, like his foreskin, keeping his member within his own body…Well, until aroused, apparently because a warm, healthy pink tip was protruding from the top, its foreskin beginning to bunch and wrinkle under it, unable to stretch and contain it. The amount of the warm-pink flesh she could see had a sheen of moisture to it, some of it left on her lower belly. It was clear and warm, but as Evelyn was leaning away from Draco, it began to cool, and she frowned at herself for missing the warmth when she knew full well that she ought to be disgusted.

As Evelyn pushed herself into him, careful not to wake him, she realized she should be disturbed by that hot, hard bit of Draco flesh that now sat sandwiched between its owner and his best friend. Yet, her heart was hammering and she felt elated. Why? With a sigh she resigned and tilted her head up. She had to get up; they both did, and she knew it. However, it was so warm, so pleasant here that she felt the need to procrastinate climbing out of this little piece of happiness. They were so close that she'd have to go cross-eyed to see that Adam's apple of his again, two inches in front of her. She smiled to herself and leaned forward gingerly to push her face into his neck. She could feel his pulse under her lips. Feel skin that, despite being technically scales, was far from rough. It was smooth, like a snake's. As the familiar and now all consuming scent of sandalwood and smoke kept her shackled here a little while longer, Evelyn decided that she could get used to waking up like this…

"There you are! Breakfast has already started," said Evelyn as Draco walked to the table in the dining hall. It had taken him a little while to compose himself/literally-burn-evidence, but he was certainly ready for breakfast now. He sat down next to Evelyn, Richard nudging him as he did. He cast the Breeloom a curious gaze, and Richard just silently pointed. Draco followed the movement and saw, tucked against a marble column in the hall, Shamma, seeming anxious and almost timid. It was shocking to see her that way, so Draco looked back to Richard, but he was distracted by a particularly lovely plate of eggs. Luckily, Alvaro had been paying attention and spoke in.

"You're not going to believe this," he said. "but…she wants to come with us!"

(WHAT?) shouted Draco mentally. Though Alvaro couldn't hear it, Draco imagined it was obvious on his face, because he quickly continued.

"But she can't connect with a human mind still, so she has no way of asking Evelyn discreetly. She wanted you to pass the message via signing." Explained Alvaro.

(Like Hell…) thought Draco. He looked back to the column, but no one was there.

They ate breakfast, some more than others, and walked (or waddled) behind Father Sabio as he gave them the instructions to their next destination.

"Those tickets you have are finally going to see some use. Sly is going to take you to Goldenrod, Johto; but only so you can get some supplies and catch a ship leaving from there to take you to Snowpoint City, Sinnoh." He explained. It was annoyingly difficult, Evelyn realized, to keep up with him. He walked quickly for such a large man, and she was carrying an egg in pouch, plus her bag. Eventually (mercifully) they reached the entrance hall and exited through the double doors. Morning air was crisp and clean and felt so damn good. Evelyn couldn't help but finally be able to appreciate the island a little more. It was truly a lush paradise. She suspected some Legends had a hand in that. She wondered if she was annoying Father Sabio as she asked questions about plants along the path they walked.

"What's that?"

"A Gilly Fern; grass types eat it when they have a stomach ache."

"What's that?"

"A Nanny's Orchid. The nectar is said to be an aphrodisiac for the Tailows, since it only blooms right at the beginning and all during their mating season."

"What's that?"

"Coal Tree. It's black bark has a toxin with healing effects in small doses, the opposite in large ones."

"What's that?"

"That's a rock…"

"Oh…sorry," muttered Evelyn, elbowing a chuckling Draco. He didn't see what the big deal was. They were plants, so what? They were all flammable to him…As they were passing a small bit of ruins, however, something caught both of their eyes, and together they came to a stop. It was a moment until Father Sabio realized they'd stopped.

"What is, child?" asked Father Sabio, regressing on the path back to them. Evelyn pointed at a small bundle of tropical flowers growing in the softest grass that ran its way through a few small boulders and large, abandoned slabs of marble. All over the little ruin scene were these flowers, which wouldn't normally be too awe inspiring, except for one fact.

"They're all paired…" she muttered. Truly, the little flowers came in twos, which wouldn't mean much, except that each pair wrapped itself around its partner in a tight embrace. Toward the base of the little green stems, it was clear they split and were two separate plants. They came in many colors, but each was only matched with certain ones. Red to blue. Yellow to green. Black to white.

"What are these?" asked Evelyn in a hushed tone. Something about the sunbathed ruins gave one the sense of…not shame, but sadness and respect of some sort. It hurt to be there. The solemn look on Father Sabio's face confirmed that theory, as did his words.

"The Lover's Lily. It's said to grow only where love has conquered at great costs, and against persecution…This site is said to have been a home of such a pair. Their love was so great; the Legends felt they needed to be honored after their passing."

"Why are they in pairs? Is it just symbolic?"

"No-no. Like I said, it's a myth as to how they came to be, a big story, and the Legends will not speak of it. In fact, when I asked as a foolish and overly curious young lad, they were utterly furious at me. If I recall, Articuno actually threw me off the tower. No, it's scientific, these pairings. They only come in primary colors, and each color produces a certain enzyme that breaks down the glucose made during photosynthesis. That enzyme, however, does not break down their own glucose; it breaks down that of its partner, and theirs breaks down the first's. Thus, the matching. Blue and red need each other to survive. They have the means to survive, but lack the ability to use them. Thus, they wrap together and form small shoots to stick together. Even their roots intertwine."

They stood there, admiring and honoring the beautiful sight. Finally, Evelyn turned to Father Sabio.

"Father?"

"Yes, my child?"

"The couple…how did they die?"

He glanced at her from the side, face expressionless, and then gave a deep sigh.

"Come now, it's getting late; you'll miss your ship at this rate."

Evelyn's surprise actually came from a lack of surprise. Even as she asked, she knew Father Sabio wasn't going to answer her. So, conceding defeat, she and Draco continued to follow him further along the path. After what felt like hours the jungle around them began to thin and eventually they were met with the beach. There in the sand, pulled up the beach slightly, was Sly's boat. There leaning against its bow, was Sly himself, looking the same as he did before; kaki pants, dirty blue shirt, and corn-colored hair. He was chatting with someone. Someone with a long, red-haired ponytail, blue jeans, and a black shirt.

"Claire?" asked Evelyn. Claire stopped mid-sentence and turned to her with a smirk.

"M-yes?" she replied with a clearly pseudo-nonchalant voice. Evelyn and Draco continued to the boat for a closer look. Indeed, it was Claire, though it had been a while since they'd seen her in normal clothes.

"Are you coming with us?" asked Evelyn. Claire gave a shrug.

"More or less. I've actually decided that it's high time I leave. You aren't the only one who spoke with Alkier last night," she said.

"What did he say to make you want to leave?" asked Evelyn.

"Well," sighed Claire, "mostly some nonsense about me "finally finding what I came to learn" and that I should "go and teach other young trainers the same lessons I've learned and to spread the good teachings of the Legends" or some crap."

"What did you learn, exactly?"

"How to lose, not how to win." Said Claire with a very serious expression. Despite their developing friendship, Evelyn could see that focus, that hateful fire in Claire's eyes when she looked at her and spoke of losing. She shifted nervously on her feet.

"Erm…so you'll be coming with us?" she asked, desperate to change the subject. It did little to snuff the fire in Claire, though she relaxed considerably.

"Like I said, more or less. I'll be with you as far as Goldenrod, but from there we go our separate ways. It's fortuitous for you that I'm tagging along to Goldenrod," added Claire with a haughty smirk. Evelyn rose a brow.

"How so…?" she asked. Claire came to her side and put an arm around her, giving her a purposefully condescending look and rub on her shoulder.

"Because, my friend, I've seen your wardrobe. You'll need a good shopping partner with a good eye if you don't want to freeze to death or get mauled by fashion police," she said. Evelyn rolled her eyes.

"Fashion police," she scoffed under her breath, and then said, "So you think we should shop for cold weather? Makes plenty of sense to me; I need supplies anyway. Alright, I'm in."

Draco felt his body stiffen. Fantastic…shopping; his favorite pastime. He gave a groan and leaned pitifully against Evelyn. She only gave him a shrewd glance.

"Gripe all you want, Drake, she has a point," she reasoned. Draco didn't much care that she made perfect sense; there was no better torture invented and forced on males to endure quite like shopping with a female, much less two. It was at this point Sly finally cut in.

"Alright, alrighty- I haven't got all day," he inserted, taking his weight from leaning on the bow. He waved them to follow and directed them into the boat. Once he knew they were in, he went to the bow and began pushing. Father Sabio assisted until they were waist deep in water. Sly managed to hoist himself into the ship and wasted little time, heading right for the captain's cabin. The motor roared to life and Father Sabio backed up a few safe paces and smiled up at Evelyn, hands on his hips.

"Well, young one. I hope you find all your answers. I regret that you've become so caught up in a war that isn't your own. Onyx has a lot of power, and presently not even the law is safe. Be wary, be vigilant. Can you do this for me, child?" he asked. Evelyn only nodded, not trusting her voice. It was a shock to realize how attached she'd gotten to this mini-giant patriarch. In fact, she felt drawn to jump from the boat right then and there and stay on the island forever. It was little wonder why her mother had loved it so much. The motor gave an angry snarl and a roar and the boat turned sharply before speeding away. Father Sabio stayed standing in the water as they waved good-bye, not stopping until he was out of sight…

Father Sabio waved until they disappeared from his sight. He turned and left the water, and then the beach to follow up the path once more. As he passed the ruins again, he came to a slow stop, turning his head slightly. He didn't have to look to see who was there, sitting lazily on a marble slab, plucking the petals off of a pair of Lover's Lilies.

"Joining the party a little late, aren't you, Rexus?" he mused. The man, Rexus, chuckled and continued to sit idly. He took a moment to look at the tower and back to Father Sabio, who had no issue with having his back to man…for now. They were, by comparison, very similar in build, and if he chose to fight him, Father Sabio had no doubt he could beat Rexus in a fair fight. But there was no such thing as a fair fight with Rexus Yew.

"I simply came to admire the scenery," mused Rexus, trying to sound hurt. He got up, straightening his silver coat, its tall, pulled up collar casting a shadow around his neck and jaw. Father Sabio turned a little more to see Rexus, at least from one eye. One could never be too safe.

"And how do you find it?" he asked. Rexus gave a thoughtful look, bringing one large, calloused hand up to scratch at his short and graying black beard, looking up at the tower.

"Enlightening…" he mused, then snapped his gaze suddenly to Father Sabio. "It's interesting to realize that the only way to get that chest is to kill her…but you know full well why I cannot. This leaves my hands tied, now doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does," replied Father Sabio. "but even if you had her, you don't have what it takes anymore, if you recall."

"Of coarse I recall!" hissed Rexus, walking along the ruins, gliding along each boulder or slab of marble with the grace of a cat, even with his hands now held in a business like manner behind his back.

"Then why are you here?" inquired Father Sabio. He was rather tired of these games Rexus liked to play. Rexus finally hopped down from a boulder and onto the pathway. They were now mere feet apart.

"I wanted to make sure that it was still safe…and that the means to get it are being collected…" he answered with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. Father Sabio felt himself stiffen.

"How could you know about them? Or anything for that matter? You know NOTHING, Rexus!" shouted Father Sabio, a few bird Pokemon taking off from their roosts in the trees. Rexus clucked his tongue, shaking his head mockingly.

"Temper-temper, Father! My goodness. You act as if the keys were a difficult thing to learn about…" he mused, looking at his fingernails. "Father Romulus was eager to fill us in, but only to a point. I knew one key was here."

"And the others…?" asked Father Sabio. "Did he speak of them?"

"No…we didn't quite make it there. As it turns out, electricity is more lethal than I had anticipated…"

"You're a monster."

"And you're a man with answers I need."

"You would not dare try anything here," Father Sabio said confidently. Behind him, in the shadows of the jungle, a loud growl rumbled, deep enough that the leaves themselves rippled with the sound. Rexus looked over Father Sabio's shoulder, looking rather unimpressed. His face was blank now, and he glanced back to Father Sabio.

"Just a word of precaution, Father; don't think you're the only man with answers," he said as he turned around and began to walk through the ruins, toward the dark sanctuary that was the jungle.

"Oh, is that so?" inquired Father Sabio quietly, knowing full well the madman could hear him. Rexus didn't even slow down, much less turn back to face him as he walked away.

"Yes. There are plenty of fish in the sea," he commented. Father Sabio's eyes tightened.

"And how many of _your_ fish are in the sea, Rexus?" he asked. At the boarder of the jungle Rexus stopped, turning his head slightly before he spoke and disappeared into the darkness.

"Plenty…" and he was gone.

* * *

"LAND!" shouted Evelyn, tumbling out of the boat and onto the pier in Goldenrod. It was newer than the one in Slateport, mostly because Goldenrod was known for two things; fantastic shopping and the magnet train. Still, after a few years, some higher-up executive finally grew a brain and built a pier to cut out one of the middle men in the purchase and shipment of goods. Prices were far cheaper, now that they didn't have to wait for a truck to drive them from other ports.

(What she said…) groaned Draco, stumbling out behind her and helping her up. Claire and Sly walked off naturally, giving both Evelyn and Draco annoyed looks.

"Oh, come on now!" chastised Claire. "It wasn't all that bad!"

"Big baby," mumbled Sly. Draco cut them a look, and they both raised their hands in defense.

"Alright, alright…" sighed Evelyn, getting her balance before looking around. "What's going on here?"

All around were hanging paper lanterns and long banners and flags hanging from street lamps. Magickarp and Remoraid and other water Pokemon were painted on walls, or drawn on the street with chalk. Stalls were in the street, as was what had to be half filled there air along with the oddly chaotically beautiful sound of a happy crowd.

"A jubilee!" exclaimed Sly, looking around with a grin. "I had forgotten there was the population of Johto. Some stalls had games, others had food, and more still had goods to sell. Music one today."

"Wait, a what?" asked Claire. They began walking down from the pier and into the busy streets of Goldenrod.

"A jubilee. Basically a celebration of any kind for whatever reason. Goldenrod holds one at the beginning of winter celebrating the ocean's bounty. Lots of seafood and such." Said Sly. Evelyn had to take a moment to reflect on that; she'd completely forgotten that it was nearly winter. Being in a desert and on a tropical island could do that.

"I'm not sure how much shopping we can get done…" mumbled Claire, looking around excitedly. Evelyn was right there with her; this looked fantastic! Draco was thinking along the same lines, but from the scent's point of view.

(Oh Legends, this place smells amazing!) he mentally swooned. Evelyn glanced at Draco and caught the look on his face and smiled. She nudged Claire.

"Huh, what?" Claire muttered, her attention being drawn away from a jewelry stand she had found fascinating. Evelyn jerked her head to Draco, who was currently defying gravity by leaning forward on his toes, nose out and enjoying the smell of carnival food. Claire smirked.

"Maybe we can work this into our schedule after all," said Claire. "I vote the Pokemon go and enjoy the jubilee while we go get the shopping done. What do you think, Eve?"

"I vote yes," said Evelyn as she reached into her bag and pulled out her Pokemon and released them.

"Alright all!" said Claire as she released her own Pokemon, "Here's the deal! Go hang out, have fun, don't fuck anything up!"

She said the last part as she glared at Magmar, who just shrugged and smiled. She also had a Growlithe, who took to sniffing around right away, and a Slugma that just looked up at Claire with a pitiful look in his eyes.

"Oh…right. You probably won't actually get around much. Return…" sighed Claire, returning him. Evelyn smiled at her team.

"Okay, everyone go have fun, but we're meeting back here at the pier near the painting of the Remoraid by dinner." She said. Draco turned and gave her a torn expression, and she chuckled. "I'll be fine for one evening, Drake; go have some fun."

"Alright, enough talk, let's just go!" sighed Claire impatiently, grabbing Evelyn by the wrist and dragging her aside and deeper into the crowd. She waved goodbye to Draco, who returned the wave with a very apprehensive look about him. Claire dragged Evelyn along through stalls, stopping for a few moments, to stare at whatever they had before clucking her tongue and dragging her off again. Eventually she pulled her into an actual store, and Evelyn was surprised to see that it wasn't very crowded at all.

"This can't be a good sign," she said, frowning and looking at the hand full of people browsing. It was a clothing store with circular racks of clothes here and there.

"Na," said Claire with a shrug, "It's just that most people are outside."

"Ah," replied Evelyn. She followed Claire along the aisles and allowed her to maneuver and physically manipulate her into whatever position she wanted as she held up random clothes and making comments.

"That color clashes, doesn't it?"

"No, you'll need a thicker coat."

"If you wore these shoes, your feet will get frostbite and fall off, and as funny as that is, we just can't have that."

"Wow…did you leave any of the store out there?" muttered Evelyn, looking at the massive pile of clothes Claire had for her to try on. Claire just rolled her eyes and shoved Evelyn toward the women's changing room. Evelyn went into a changing booth, and was surprised at how cramped it was. It could easily fit four people, sure, but not four people changing clothes…

"Move over!" hissed Claire as she squeezed in.

"You're coming in here too?" asked Evelyn, moving over to let Claire in.

"Of course I am! Who else is going to tell you those pants make your ass look fat." Sneered Claire. Evelyn rolled her eyes and started pulling her shirt off to try the first outfit. As it came over her head, she saw Claire sitting on the chair in the corner, giving her a hard stare. Evelyn felt herself fidget with discomfort.

"It'd be nice if you didn't do that…" she mumbled, pulling the first thermal shirt on so quickly she didn't even realize it was backward. Claire snorted with laughter.

"Do what…?" she asked innocently as she walked up to Evelyn and very slowly curled her fingers over the front of the girl's shirt collar, pushing the tag that had been sticking up back down. She didn't remove her hand, but continued to grip Evelyn's front. She hated herself when she gulped loudly and Claire grinned.

"Claire…?" she whispered as if the entire festival were listening and knew of their odd little situation.

"Hmm?" mumbled Claire, who was looking around Evelyn's face, blue eyes alight with interests.

"What are we doing?" asked Evelyn.

"Have you ever had a boyfriend, Eve?" Claire asked out of the blue. Evelyn was so stunned at the odd question that she simply gapped.

"I take that as a 'no' then…shame," sighed Claire, taking her free hand and running her fingertips up Evelyn's neck and to her ear. She shivered and tried to back away, but Claire had a firm grip on her top.

"Claire, knock it off!" hissed Evelyn. Claire finally looked her in the eyes.

"Have you ever been kissed?" she asked. Evelyn didn't know where these questions were coming from, and was beginning to feel more and more uncomfortable. Plus, the stall was beginning to feel very warm.

"Not really. Almost, or sort of, rather. Draco cut it short," she said. Claire's eyebrows shot up and her grip on Evelyn's shirt relaxed, but only slightly.

"You kissed Draco?" she asked.

"No! Some guy at different festival. I'd never kiss Dra-"

"Yes you would…" Claire cut her off, eyes narrowing. Evelyn was backed into the mirror at this point.

"No, it'd be wrong," she bit back.

"Why?"

"He's a Pokemon!" she hissed, like it wasn't obvious. Clearly Claire thought the same thing as she rolled her eyes.

"But he's your best friend, so what does it matter?"

"It would feel too weird-"

"No, it _won't_," whispered Claire. Evelyn, who had been avoiding Claire intense eyes, finally looked back to the girl, confused at first, and realization dawned on her.

"No…" she mumbled. "You're…? Are you and Toukon-?"

"What? Abominations? Horrible sinners? I thought perhaps you would see it differently. If not just for whom you are, then for what you are with Draco. Don't give me this crap." Claire said, reacting to the shocked and almost appalled sound of Evelyn's voice. She gripped Evelyn's front harder now, pulling at it to stress the shorter girl. Evelyn, however, only relaxed and stared at her friend, a sudden rush of inexplicable relief washing over her.

"I'm not judging you. I was just surprised that you were…you know, with Toukon and would admit it. I won't tell anyone," she whispered. Claire let go of her shirt and grunted.

"I wish you could," she grumbled, taking to lean against the side of the stall. Evelyn frowned.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I wish I didn't have to be ashamed of it. No one would understand; they'd just be offended and disgusted. Hell, it feels like we're dancing around the subject even now. You can't even say it, so I will…I'm in love with Toukon." Said Claire.

"You shouldn't be ashamed. It's…unorthodox, but I see what you mean. I think…" said Evelyn.

"What do you think about it?" asked Claire. Evelyn frowned, pondering. She'd never considered this possibility. Well, not out loud or deeply.

"You love him…but he's a Pokemon and you're a human, so isn't it supposed to be wrong?"

"Why?" asked Claire, arms crossed. Evelyn frowned and thought about it. What set humans and Pokemon apart so much? Sure, they were physically different, but apart from that, what?

"I…don't know." She said lamely. Claire chuckled.

"Toukon is my partner. I know him and he knows me in ways the world wouldn't understand. I feel calm with him; sated. He's my best friend. Do you have someone like that?" asked Claire. Evelyn stiffened, seeing where this conversation was turning.

"You know I do…" she muttered, now trying to go back to getting dressed by pulling her arms into her shirt and turning it around the right way. Claire shook her head.

"And you never thought of the possibilities?" she asked. Evelyn sighed.

"Before now, I never saw them as possibilities. Just something wrong, and unacceptable," said Evelyn, taking off her pants now, to try on a different pair that Claire handed her. It was odd to move from an awkward situation to a normal one while still carrying an equally awkward conversation.

"I hope, for your sake, you'll look at it from your own point of view and not one from the rest of the world's…" said Claire, and for the first time, Evelyn could see why Alkier had told her to go out into the world and spread her wisdom of understanding. She was less shallow than she let on, and had managed to pull out topics Evelyn had avoided thinking of for years in a matter of minutes.

"Why do you bring all this up, Claire?" asked Evelyn.

"I don't know…a funny feeling. You have a bond with Draco that I haven't seen anywhere else, not even between Toukon and myself. I just couldn't believe you, Miss Pokemon-are-just-like-us, would cave to social standings on interspecies relations." Said Claire as she took a new shirt off of a hanger and handed it to Evelyn.

"I'm not looking for anything, that's why. Maybe I'm meant to be with a human and I just haven't found Mr. Right yet." Said Evelyn.

"It's hard to find what you already have…" said Claire quietly as Evelyn took of her top. She frowned suddenly. "You never really answered my question."

"Which one?" asked Evelyn dryly. Claire chuckled.

"Have you ever really been kissed? I'm making an attempt at this girly chit-chat. Mindless prattle, really…"

"I suppose the answer is 'no'. How sad is that?" laughed Evelyn half heartedly, unbuttoning the button-down blouse Claire had handed her.

"A bit. So you don't have any practice?" she asked, walking around Evelyn, scrutinizing her appearance.

"Well, I doubt it's all that complicated," grumbled Evelyn begrudgingly, annoyed at Claire's blatant show of her ignorance on a simple subject most girls her age were well educated in.

"You'd be surprised," said Claire with a shrug. Evelyn shirked on the open blouse.

"I think I'll be able to handle it when the time comes," she laughed.

"Prove it," said Claire bluntly. Evelyn paused in her attempt to button the bottom button of the blouse. She looked up suddenly, seeing Claire standing close in front of her.

"I beg your pardon?" she asked.

"You heard me just fine. I said 'prove it'. There's no time like the present, right? You might as well learn now," said Claire with a coy smile and a mischievous glint in her eye. Evelyn was tempted to back away from the red-head, but felt the impulse to stand her ground for once. Claire was always pushing and using scare tactics to push Evelyn in whatever direction suited her curiosity, but Evelyn decided to call her out on this one.

"You wouldn't," she said bluntly. Claire raised her eyebrows.

"You want a bet?" she replied, stepping closer to Evelyn, making her back into the mirror once more. Evelyn still looked sternly at her, despite the fact that she was standing in a small changing stall, backed into a wall, with her blouse handing wide open.

"You're bluffing," she said, but no longer sounded so sure, not even to herself. Part of her wondered if Claire wasn't bluffing, thinking of the impending consequences. Claire moved to press into her and whisper into Evelyn's ear, earning a gasp of surprise from the raven-haired girl.

"I. Never. Bluff." Said Claire, slowly but soundly. Then she moved her lips from Evelyn's ear and made her way down the girl's jaw line. Evelyn's heart hammered loudly, and she hoped Claire wouldn't hear. She wasn't backing down now. She would wait for Claire to have her fun teasing and watch as she would have to break down and admit defeat. She was very wrong. Claire moved so that their noses brushed and Evelyn closed her eyes in an effort to concentrate. There was something about peppermint mouthwash that made it hard to keep her composure with Claire's cool breath invading her senses.

Ever so slightly she felt Claire's lips touch hers, just a hair, and she swore she could feel her smile. When Claire spoke, she felt her breath on her face.

"Lesson number one," she whispered before moving forward and pressing her lips against Evelyn's. They were soft, smooth, and very moist. Evelyn willed herself to mimic Claire's movements as best she could. When the other girl parted her lips, Evelyn copied, as she did when Claire in pushed against her more. From there, it was like riding a wave. It was sort of up and down swell of energy as lips would part and come together again; a bottom or top lip getting caught between now and then. Evelyn felt Claire's hands move to her bare waist under her open blouse, warm against her skin. She wasn't thinking about her hands and absently noted they had balled themselves into the hem of Claire's shirt.

Evelyn felt a moan she didn't know she was capable of escape when Claire suddenly sped things along, taking Evelyn's bottom lip and giving it a small nibble, sharp but tender. There was a moment where Evelyn wondered if she was the only one who was enjoying the moment, until Claire gave a groan of her own when Evelyn gingerly ran the tip of her tongue against Claire's bottom lip. She wasn't sure if that was okay or not; she'd simply done it out of the impulse to feel how smooth it was, and was shocked when the tip of Claire's tongue met her own. The action wasn't unpleasant, but surprising, making Evelyn pull away. To her surprise, Claire let her go without a fight.

"Right, right. Tongue really is a lesson two sort of thing. You learn rather quickly," praised Claire with the same voice one would use to compliment someone she was teaching to ride a bike. Evelyn stood there, Godsmacked at what had just happened. Claire poked her arm after a minute or two.

"You should really button that shirt up so you can move on to the pants. We have too much to do for you to be goofing off." Said Claire, pushing a pair of pants into Evelyn's arms. Evelyn just gapped at her, not sure what to say. The red-head rolled her eyes.

"I warned you that I don't bluff," she said simply, as if that explained it all. "Besides, now you have some experience to work with. You're welcome."

That knocked Evelyn out of her stupor. She shook her head and frowned at Claire before she began to change pants.

"You act like you didn't enjoy it," she grumbled. Claire clicked her tongue.

"Now I didn't say that. Oh! Try these shoes!" she said, handing a pair to Evelyn. She had decided that a day with Claire will always be this Bi-polar, moving from one thing to the other without warning or transition. It gave her a case of subject whiplash. She found that she couldn't complain. All-in-all, it was a rather…_eventful_ evening.

* * *

"There you are!" sighed Evelyn from a picnic table set up in the street outside of a busy restaurant with a big Remoraid painted on it. Draco was walking with her other Pokemon, along with Claire's. Evelyn got up and gave Draco a long hug before turning her attention to her other Pokemon. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Alvaro. He was no longer a Gastly, but a Haunter, and perched upon his nose were a wee pair of glasses with no ear pieces. In his floating hands he held a book he was clearly engrossed in.

"Alvaro! Where'd you get those spectacles? Or that book?" she asked. Draco face-palmed. She _would _notice something like that and overlook the fact that Alvaro had evolved. The Haunter smiled and floated over, showing her the book. It was about basic survival, with diagrams and charts and many things Evelyn would have to investigate further to understand.

"I like it, very practical, very _you_, Alvaro," she said, and then frowned, "When did you evolve?"

Haunter turned to Draco, who had sat down on the bench and was pressing a cold can of soda onto his head, looking very much stressed. Evelyn walked over and sat down next to him, resting her chin on his shoulder as she waited for him to be calm enough to explain. Finally he put the soda down and turned to her. The other Pokemon had already sat down and were tucking into the festival food.

"It's a long story," signed Draco. Evelyn snorted.

"It's been a long day," she reasoned. Draco snorted. He seemed aggravated about something. "What is it?"

"It's about to get longer," he signed and jerked his head to the side. Standing a few feet away from the table was none other than Shamma the Grumpig, looking quite abashed.

"How did…when did…she…?" stumbled Evelyn, looking back and for the between their guest and an exasperated Draco. She soothed his back with her hand. "You're going to have to tell me what happened today."

"I've had a busy day," he signed before dropping his head to the table with a growl.

"You and me both, buddy…" mumbled Evelyn.

* * *

**Chapter End Notes:**

_There really are not enough "I'm sorry"s in the world to express my regret, but know that I have not now, nor will I ever give up on this story. I will update more now. _

_Next Chapter:__**Jubilee (Part II)**_

_So what happened with the Pokemon during the festival? Why did Alvaro evolve? Why is Shamma there?_


	12. Jubilee Part II

It's amazing the kind of trouble a few Pokemon can get into during a little Jubilee festival. Good thing they have each other to rely on. Right?

* * *

Chapter 12

**Jubilee (Part II)**

* * *

"Maybe we can work this into our schedule after all," said Claire. "I vote the Pokemon go and enjoy the jubilee while we go get the shopping done. What do you think, Eve?"

"I vote yes," said Evelyn as she reached into her bag and pulled out her Pokemon and released them.

"Alright all!" said Claire as she released her own Pokemon, "Here's the deal! Go hang out, have fun, don't fuck anything up!"

She said the last part as she glared at Magmar, who just shrugged and smiled. She also had a Growlithe, who took to sniffing around right away, and a Slugma that just looked up at Claire with a pitiful look in his eyes.

"Oh…right. You probably won't actually get around much. Return…" sighed Claire, returning him. Evelyn smiled at her team.

"Okay, everyone go have fun, but we're meeting back here at the pier near the painting of the Remoraid by dinner." She said. Draco turned and gave her a torn expression, and she chuckled. "I'll be fine for one evening, Drake; go have some fun."

"Alright, enough talk, let's just go!" sighed Claire impatiently, grabbing Evelyn by the wrist and dragging her aside and deeper into the crowd. She waved goodbye to Draco, who returned the wave with a very apprehensive look and a half-assed wave.

(Oh, dear Legends, I'm glad I'm not her.) He thought with a grimace. He heard Toukon sigh next to him.

"Awesome, no shopping!" he said, practically voicing Draco's thoughts. "Now we can just chill and be back here by- Woah-woah! Where the hell did everyone go?"

Draco blinked at him for a moment, wondering what the Combusken was talking about. Then he turned around and saw that everyone but Claire's Rapidash had disappeared. The equine raised an eyebrow.

"You don't expect me to tell you, do you? I'm just going to wait here; I hate crowds…" he muttered before trotting off to stand near the restaurant that was their rendezvous point for dinner. Toukon clicked his beak in annoyance.

"Fat lot of help _he_ is…sheesh. Can you believe this guy?" he mumbled. Draco grunted in reply, arms crossed and mostly enjoying the fact that if he stood tall and on his toes, he was taller than his new-found feathery friend. Toukon sighed.

"We'd better split up and keep an eye on everyone. I don't know about your team, but mine is filled with idiots who don't understand when 'dinner time' really is," grumbled Toukon, looking around for some clue as to where the others had gone. Draco thought about his friends for a minute and cringed.

(Oh man…if Issac is by himself- fuck!) he cursed in his head. He and Toukon exchanged a glance before nodding an agreement that their friends weren't competent enough to be left alone in the middle of a busy festival and be expected to come back in time. With that, they dashed off in opposite directions.

* * *

Along the busy merchant stalls wandered the ever-so curious Alvaro and the ever-smiling Issac. Alvaro drifted over people's heads to avoid phasing through their bodies, which he considered to be rude and an invasion of their privacy. Issac just padded along down the street right behind him, looking up at each person that passed, following them as long as his neck would allow, and continuing to walk whilst doing so. Alvaro had to admit, it was impressive that he'd yet to run into anyone. Honestly, he didn't know why Issac followed him. Alvaro considered himself to be, for all intensive purposes, boring. Maybe this was due to the fact that he'd read a book, rainy day or no, or the fact that Richard continually snored whenever he lectured about something.

(At least he didn't follow Richard,) Alvaro thought grimly. The Breloom was far too mean to be trusted to Issac. Well, not so much mean as tactless and impatient, he decided. As long as Issac was happy, he was welcome to follow. Still, thought Alvaro, I should make an attempt to humor him so he doesn't get bored.

"Issac! Look at this stall!" said Alvaro, drifting over to a stand filled with puppets and marionettes. Issac waddled over quickly, fascinated by the little toys. Alvaro smiled as the Quagsire played with one of the puppets and then turned his attention to the other stalls.

It was midway between lunch and dinner, judging by the sun's position; no longer noon but apprehensive about falling. The streets were crowded, but not packed to overflowing like he had feared. One could smell food stalls and snack vendors whipping up their treats to sell to the hungry festival goers. Children in random, brightly colored paper masks would run by, giggling and bumping into other patrons. Here and there were stalls made simply to sell fair-commodities. There was a ring-toss, a goldfish booth, the birth-place of previously mentioned paper masks, and many more things.

(Humans always make the most of their celebrations, don't they? Even funerals have food…) mused Alvaro.

"Oi! Get out of my stall!" shouted a man somewhere in the stall behind Alvaro. He quickly turned around to see Issac struggling to get free of a mass of stringed puppets. He finally squirmed free, thanks to his protective mucus membrane, and skirted right past Alvaro and into the crowd. The Gastly turned to say a quick "Sorry" to the merchant (which, of course, was lost in translation) before flying over the crowd to follow his watery, blue friend (if not easy trailed by his color, then his slight slime trail did the trick.)

(Finally!) sighed Alvaro mentally as he found Issac, sitting with his hands between his legs, leaning against them as he watched, ironically, a puppet show. There were a few children there as well, but he didn't pay their odd looks any mind.

"Issac…" started Alvaro in a foreboding tone. The Quagsire simply looked up at his levitating teammate with a wide smile, tail wagging (or sliding) back and forth, similar to a canine's but far slower (naturally, considering the source.) He seemed quite happy, and showed no sign of stress from their little tangle-and-run. Alvaro sighed, rolling his eyes as he looked around. Perhaps there was something that could entertain them both. Out of the corner of his eye, all the way across the street, was a big shaded stand with large letters spelling out "Books".

"Issac," said Alvaro. "Enjoy your show. I'm going to the book stall across the street. Stay put! Got it?"

Issac just smiled and mimicked, "Got it!"

With that Alvaro was off, gliding over the crowded street between the two areas. The book stand was filled with rows of waist-high shelves and a few display tables. Near the back of the stall, against the building it was set up against, were a few opened books on podiums.

(Oh, thank goodness!) thought Alvaro. He had no hands, so despite his ability to become tangible and intangible at will (most of the time), this gift was useless without digits with which he could turn pages. He floated to the third one, from the right, flinching when a woman in the stall standing near that podium saw him, screamed, and bolted right out. Alvaro let it roll off his back (so to speak); he was used to the prejudice. He focused instead on the book, a guide to breeding. He read what he could, though the words were ever-so blurry.

He never really knew why, but Alvaro always had trouble reading anything written by mortals. Maybe it was because he was technically locked between two planes of existence, or maybe there was something about being a ghost that made it hard on his eyes, but one thing was for sure; Alvaro would sell his right foot to get some glasses (as soon as he located a tradable foot.) Still, if he squinted really hard, and read slowly, he did decently enough. After finishing the two pages he could see, Alvaro moved to the second podium, sitting in the middle of the row. He was pleasantly surprised to see that there was a movable magnifying glass nearly the size of his body standing like a lightless lamp between the first and second podiums. Its glass was located for him to read this second book perfectly.

Unfortunately it was dreadful. Not a book with facts and figures, but something more ironic; ghost stories. Alvaro groaned and, as if on cue, a woman passing behind him, stuck behind the tower of books she carried, was drawn by the sound, looked his way, and screamed before dropping all her books and sprinting away.

(Honestly,) Alvaro mentally grumbled, (You'd think people had never seen a ghost Pokemon before…)

He glanced to the last podium, and the book that sat there. He was met with yet more disappointment when he saw how miniscule the print was. Alvaro groaned as he floated to the movable magnifying glass. He became tangible and pushed his face into it, moving it inch by tiny inch, until it pivoted to stand over and magnify the fist podium's book. Then he floated back to the book to read what it was. He was rather excited to see that it was something useful! It was a book on all the basic techniques of survival. He read it with gusto and was saddened when he reached the end of the second page.

"I wish I could turn the page…" sighed Alvaro out loud. Suddenly a blue finned hand came up from behind Alvaro, right through his body, and turned the page, making Alvaro jump and shoot up into the air, all the way to the canopy of the stall.

"Issac!" he exclaimed. The jolly Quagsire smiled up at him. "What are you doing here?"

"You want me to leave?" he asked, looking sad.

"No-no!" said Alvaro, backpedaling. "How long have you been standing there?"

"I dunno. A while. I turned the page; isn't that what you wanted?" asked Issac, turning his head in confusion. Alvaro smiled.

"Yes, thank you," he said before floating back down to hover once again over the magnifying glass and continued to read until he finished the next two pages. He turned around to ask Issac for assistance, and noticed his aquatic friend yawning in boredom.

"What?" asked Issac after he could open his eyes toward the end of a long yawn. If Alvaro had shoulders, he would have shrugged.

"Nothing. I think I've had my fill. Let's go find something more entertaining, shall we," suggested Alvaro. He flew out of the stall, Issac following with the gentle flip-flopping of wet flipper feet.

"Why did you seek me out, Issac? Weren't you enjoying the puppet show," asked Alvaro, glancing back. Issac was watching random people and objects go by, never really watching where he was going.

"It was boring…" replied Issac, voice drifting off. Alvaro turned back, looking at all the stalls and entertainment they were passing.

"Oh look! They sell donuts here. Is that a fire-breather? Humans are odd. Don't you agree?" mused Alvaro aloud. Silence was his only answer. He frowned and turned around. Issac was nowhere in sight.

"Issac?" he called, but no reply came. He groaned.

(Great, now he's wandered off,) Alvaro sighed mentally before drifting off over the crowd, trying to find Issac. All he could see were more children in paper masks and older humans walking up and down the street, enjoying the festival games and activities. No sign of Issac. A shiny substance on the ground caught Alvaro's eye and he moved down to the road. It was a mucus trail. Issac was a Quagsire, after all, and an amphibian, so he always had a coat of slime that usually evaporated pretty quickly, so Alvaro was in luck that the trail remained. He just hoped this was Issac and not anyone else.

He followed the trail, weaving in and out of legs, eventually abandoning manners when one man tried to stomp him when Alvaro accidentally spooked him by brushing against his pant leg. Alvaro phased to be intangible, the man's foot and other people's legs just drifting right through him, many jumping at the sudden chill that crawled up their skin when he went through. He turned a corner into an alley way, and glanced down it. There were a few Pokemon and, thankfully, Issac was one of them. He was squatting down, huddled with three other Pokemon; a Scyther, a Pinsir, and a Heracross. As he came closer, Alvaro could hear their voices-

"Ha! You lost again! Fool, you should quite while you have the ch-" began the Pinsir, but the Scyther hissed in.

"Shut up! Let him lose more; it means we get more money…" he said. The Heracross nodded. Alvaro was floating over them now, so far un-noticed. Before the Heracross was a small wooden table, and on that was a pack of cards.

"One more time, dopey," sneered the Heracross, holding up a single card. It had a picture of a Butterfree on it. "There's one Buterfree, and all the rest are Beedrill; it's all a game of luck. Watch now."

He put the Butterfree back into the pile, then shuffled with great speed before placing the pack face down on the table and fanning it out.

"Now guess," grunted the Pinsir. Issac appeared to be concentrating rather had, frowning at the cards. He put a hand forward then back, hesitating.

"We don't have all day!" hissed the Scyther. Issac jumped and quickly reached forward, pointing at a card. The Heracross flipped it over; a Beedrill. The Scyther cackled.

"Lost again! Enough, now! Pay up!" he said. The Pinsir next to him reached forward, holding his hand out expectantly. Issac frowned and tilted his head.

"Pay up?" he mimicked.

"Yeah, you know. Money!" snapped the Pinsir, wiggling his little claws impatiently.

"Oh, money!" said Issac, comprehending, "Yeah, I don't have any."

"WHAT?" all three bug Pokemon exclaimed. Alvaro chose this moment to swoop down in front of Issac as the three Pokemon rose up, starting to advance.

"Now now, gentlemen, let's not be hasty!" Alvaro tried to reason.

"Who the hell are you?" snapped Scyther, holding up a scythe threateningly.

"I'm a friend of his. There seems to be a misunderstanding. My friend here didn't know your 'entertainment' came at a cost; do forgive us and we shall be on our way," said Alvaro. He and Issac were backing up toward the entrance of the alley. The Scyther sudden disappeared before blinking into view behind them, blocking their exit.

"I don't think so," said the Heracross, "You don't seem to understand. We provided entertainment. Now either pay up, or return the favor."

The Scyther behind them sudden lashed out with his scythes, aiming for Issac's feet. Issac had to hop from foot to food in order to avoid the attacks and still stay standing.

"Hey! Knock it off-uph!" Alvaro started when the Pinsir suddenly clamped him down in his pinchers, squeezing him. The little Ghastly choked before phasing out from between them, out of his grasp before changing back. He heard a buzzing behind and looked up.

"Brick Break!" shouted the Heracross, hovering over Alvaro. He brought his arm down, but it went right through Alvaro, who grinned at him.

"Ghost types aren't affected by fighting moves," he clarified when the Heracross looked shocked. He grinned back then launched forward suddenly, horn glowing.

"Megahorn!" he shouted, and before Alvaro could realize what was happening, he was thrown backward, crashing through a set of trashcans and smacking against a wall. Everything went quiet for a moment, and then sound began to creep in like mumbles, and Alvaro opened his eyes. The dimly lit alleyway was blurry at best, and a group of blurs were moving. A green, a brown, and a dark blue moving around a light blue one. The sound began to focus more and he could hear the distinct sound of kicking and crying. His vision focused on the group, bringing their image in sharper; the bug Pokemon were circled around a cowering Issac, beating him.

"Leave him…alone…" Alvaro gasped, trying to float up out of the garbage, a banana peel and some coffee grounds slipping off the top of his head. With all the strength he could muster, Alvaro shot forward. The Heracross leader smirked when he caught sight of him out of the corner of his eye.

"Again?" He grunted. "Persistent little bugger."

Like a batter to a ball, the Heracross waited for Alvaro to be in range before his horn began to glow once again. With another well placed Megahorn, the little Ghastly went flying back from whence he came, more rubble than before landing on him, covering him. The Heracross sighed, satisfied, and turned back to join his cohorts in the senseless beating of a quiet, jolly Quagsire. In their distracted state, they didn't see the faint blue light peering out from the rubble, just glowing through plastic bottles and napkins, before fading away.

"When we're finished, you're gonna go out and pickpocket what you owe us, you got that, lumpy?" ordered the Heracross, his sidekicks hissing and chuckling dumbly along. They took no notice of the shimmering clear image lurking up from the ground behind their leader until the Heracross suddenly stopped his kicking.

"Boss, you alright?" asked the Scyther, the Pinsir still kicking Issac. Scyther nudged his comrade who looked up, agitated, then toward their leader. Heracross was making choking sounds, and his body began to shutter. The two bug types were too shocked to move, unsure what was happening. The air behind Heracross shimmered like the atmosphere on top of a hot road; blurry, but clear. Then it began to take shape and color, starting from around the Heracross's head. Sharp, purple fingers had lodged themselves around the leader's skull, skillfully avoiding the horn. The image continued to sharpen as another hand appeared stretched to the side and open, looking viscous. Its palm was toward the Heracross, and shimmering air was moving from around his body into the hand. Then a body began to appear, from nose to end, the purple came into view, angry, sharp eyes aglow with furious violet.

There hovered Alvaro the Haunter, holding the Heracross in a ridged grasp with one hand, and draining his life force with the other. He had a wide and hungry smile, empty glowing eyes looking directly at the other pair. Heracross gave a gurgled choke and one final gasp before his eyes rolled back and closed, his body going limp. Alvaro blinked and his eyes became clear and normal once again. The Scyther and the Pinsir still stood, staring dumbly at Alvaro and their fallen leader. Alvaro moved a little closer, and the two flinched, shaking in their exoskeletons. He hovered a little closer still, until he was a few feet away, looking them dead in the eye.

"…boo," was all he said. Both bug Pokemon screamed high pitched cries before darting off down the alley and out of sight. Alvaro waited until they were out of sight before groaning and floating down to the ground.

(Oh, my head…) He groaned, holding his head in his hands. It took a moment before he registered that he was holding his head…in his _hands_!

"I have hands?" he gasped, excited.

"Yep…" came a drifting voice. Alvaro turned around to see Issac, who was just standing up, wobbly on his feet (more so than usual.)

"Issac! Are you alright?" asked Alvaro, circling around Issac. The Quagsire nodded, rubbing his head.

"Ow…" he mumbled. Alvaro guided him out of the alley and back to the streets.

"Don't worry; we'll get you back to Evelyn. I'll tell Draco what happened and he'll signed it over to Eve. She'll make you feel better," said Alvaro. Issac just nodded.

"She usually does," said Issac, fiddling with something in his hands. Alvaro pointed at it.

"What's that?" he asked. It looked like a little burlap pocket bag with a draw string, but something inside jingled.

"They left their money behind," said Issac, simply. Alvaro opened it and counted.

"It's a good bit!" he said, impressed. Though, he felt a little bad, since that must have been money those thugs beat out of someone else. He looked up at the bruised Issac and smiled. "You keep it. Buy yourself something nice."

Issac looked at him, long and hard, before tilting his head and replying, "Kaaaay…"

"Good, now let's go," said Alvaro, once again leading the way. They passed a few stalls they had passed before, heading back from whence they came. Alvaro saw the puppet stall.

"Would you like a puppet, Issac?" he asked. No reply. He stopped midair and closed his eyes. With a deep, calming breath Alvaro turned around slowly and looked. No Issac. He blanched.

(Not again…) he groaned mentally, rubbing his face with his hands.

"Issac?" he shouted, turning this way and that. "Issac, where are you?"

He turned and turned and turned some more, trying to locate any sign of Issac, but there was none. Not even a slime trail.

"Issac? Issa- Ah!" yelped Alvaro, scooting back as Issac's smiling mug popped into view, right in his face. "Legends, Issac! Are you trying to kill me more?"

"No…" said Issac, looking sad. He held something new now. His arms folded over, holding it against his chest.

"Issac, what is that?" asked Alvaro, pointing to the object. Issac smiled again and held it out quite happily. It was a book. A big book. On closer inspection, Alvaro realized it wasn't just any big book.

"The survival guide!" he shouted with glee. Issac handed it over, and for the first time in his afterlife, Alvaro held a book in his hands, flipping the pages. "Oh, Issac, this is wonderful! Oh…I do wish the font wasn't so small. I'm having trouble reading i-"

Issac shoved something under Alvaro's nose, between him and the book. Held in his hands was a little pair of round, black-framed spectacles. It was intended to be balanced and held on the bridge of a nose, since it had no ear pieces. Alvaro took it gently, examining it before he perched it on his nose, moving it back and forth until he found the perfect reading distance, and settle them there. He found they stuck to his undead form like a magnet to metal. He looked over at Issac, who was just smiling, tail flapping back and forth like a slow dog's wagging.

"Issac…did you use that money to buy this?" asked Alvaro. Issac nodded, smiling so much now he couldn't keep his eyes open. Alvaro felt his eyes begging to sting with tears and batted them away before diving down to swoop Issac into a hug, pulling the poor thing almost a foot off the ground.

"Thank you, Issac," he said, sincerely. "Now let's get going so we can get you healed up."

And with that, Alvaro the Haunter and Issac the Quagsire set off down the street.

* * *

Richard grinned to himself as he walked along the pier and spotted a group of lady Pokemon standing at the beginning of a drawbridge. There stood a group of female grass-type Pokemon. A Bellosom, a Chikorita, a Roserade, and a Sunflora. He held himself high and began to pass slowly, chest puffed out. The Bellosom giggled when she saw him and nudged her Chikorita friend, who in turn attracted the other two and soon they were all admiring the bravado-filled Breloom.

He continued to strut his stuff, pretending (poorly) not to notice the ladies until he was right in front of them on the bridge's walkway and one called out to him.

"Well hello there, handsome!" said the Bellosom, batting her lashes. She had a sweet, oddly southern accent. "I haven't seen the likes of you 'round here. You new in town?"

"Yes ma'am," answered Richard, taking to kneeling on one knee before bowing to the ladies, all of which giggled at the show of chivalry.

"Then what might your name be?" asked the Chikorita.

"Richard the Lionhearted, good lady," he said sweetly, looking up from under his cap. "And might I say, these eyes have never before beheld beauty such as yours, ladies."

The group fell into an array of approving giggles and swooning before surrounding him and bombarding him with questions.

"Do you really think I'm pretty?"

"Where are you from?"

"Do you really think I'm pretty?"

"What do you do?"

"Do you really think I'm pretty?"

"Where are you going?"

"Do you really think-" began the Bellosom again, but Richard cut her off.

"No," he said. Bellosom's face fell, saddened, but Richard took her little hand and kissed it gently before giving her a wink. "I think you are _beautiful_."

The Bellosom nearly fainted in her swoon. Richard flashed them a smirk before pressing on.

"As to your other inquiries, my dears; I am from far away. My life's work is to battle the forces of evil, wherever they may lurk. As to where I am going…well, I suppose wherever life takes me."

A group of giggling and sighing female grass Pokemon was what met Claire's group of Pokemon as they started their walk across the bridge. Magmar, Ninetales, and Growlithe all approached the huddled mob cooing over the Breloom. Magmar frowned and looked closer, slowing down.

"Please keep walking," growled Ninetales, not meaning to be polite at all. She spoke more with a tone of one who knew Magmar's habits in similar situations and was weary of them.

"No can do!" replied Magmar, grinning mischievously as he leaned out of their walk, veering to the group of female grass Pokemon. Ninetales groaned and Growlithe yapped.

"We need to keep going if we're going to see any of the festival before dinner! You heard what Claire said!" commanded the Growlithe.

"Screw that noise," was Magmar's reply before he continued to the love-struck circle. Growlithe turned to his other teammate.

"Aren't you going to back me up?" he pleaded. Ninetales raised an eyebrow.

"Magmar-"

"Nope!"

"There," sighed the Ninetales lazily, "I tried. Now if you'll excuse me, I do believe I've spotted a handsome Mighyena down the bridge who might just be the sucker- er, I mean gentleman to escort me through the festival."

With that she took off, swishing her tails as she went. Growlithe rolled his eyes and then tailed behind Magmar, barking at him.

"Seriously, I know that look! Don't get into trouble; Claire will be mad!" warned the little dog. Magmar put a hand in Growlithe's face and pushed him to the side, and out of his way as he approached the group.

"What are a couple-a fine little flowers like you talkin' to this loser for?" he asked as he entered the circle, earning a few gasps from the surprised company. Richard, who was just moving and flexing to show off, stopped.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, eyes narrowing. Magmar raised his hands in mock defense.

"Woah now! I'm not trying to intrude. I see a bunch of hot babes in one spot and you trying to 'entertain' them, I figured I'd step in and save you the humiliation," said Magmar. A few ladies looked him up and down before smiling.

"Who might you be, touch guy?" asked the Roserade, a flowered hand in front of her face, batting her eyelashes. Magmar smirked.

"I am the invincible Magmar, of course!" he said prideful, puffing out his chest with his hands on his hips. "The winner of many battles and hottest fighter around, if you catch my drift."

The girls giggled. Richard's eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms.

"Pft, 'invincible' indeed," he said sarcastically. Magmar hardly even spared him a glance from the corner of his eye before turning his attention to the ladies of the hour.

"I've seen some hot babes around, but you girls are the finest," he said. Flattered, the girls began to crowd him.

"So where are you from?" asked the Sunflora.

"Oh, here, there," he said elusively, "I don't talk about it much. Too much in my past. I'm a bit infamous in some areas, let's leave it at that."

The girls 'oh'ed at that, seemingly impressed at his 'bad boy' persona. Richard felt his eye twitch. It was like yin and yang, good and bad, fighting over the same thing.

"Did he mention he lost a battle to me?" asked Richard loudly, getting their attention. They eyed Magmar carefully.

"Is this true?" asked one of them. Magmar looking at each of them before glaring Richard's way, seeing the self-satisfied grin on the Breloom's face.

"Not entirely, no," said the Magmar, "Little bugger met me in a tie. I could have kept going, but I'd partied waaaay too hard the night before the battle, so I figured I'd kick his butt in a rematch some other time."

Richard sputtered for a moment before finding the words, "You cur! That is the farthest from the truth! It was an honest tie! If anything, _I_ was the one that could have kept going! Weren't you suffering from that curse Alvaro gave you?"

Magmar growled back now butting heads with the Breloom. "Doubt it! Yeah, sure; I had a curse, but even with a curse I could beat you to a pulp no-problem. Type advantage!"

Richard scoffed, "Type advantage? Please. It would be like a coward such as you to enter battles with someone you think you have the upper hand against!"

It was at this point Growlithe chose to move in toward the group of shocked grass Pokemon and usher them to the side saying, "This might get ugly…"

"Duh," countered Magmar, "Why fight a fight with someone stronger when you can fight someone weaker?"

"For your honor, sir!" said Richard. "Have you any? Why do you think I was so unfazed by the battle with _you_? I chose to fight someone with an advantage over me to prove that I can overcome odds with powers superior to my own."

"Ah-ha!" shouted Magmar. "So you admit that I _am_ stronger than you!"

"Absolutely not!" seethed Richard. "You could never be stronger than me!"

"I already am!" said Magmar, irritated.

"By what means?" said Richard, equally so.

"Type advantage, motherfucker!" shouted Magmar.

The group of ladies gasped and Richard growled, "Watch your tongue around a lady…"

"The only lady I see is the one standing in front of me," sneered Magmar. That seemed to be the final straw and Breloom moved forward, a Mach Punch landing in the fire Pokemon's face. Magmar countered with a flamethrower. The girls screamed and scattered, running away, while Growlithe simply stepped to the side. Neither of the battling Pokemon even took notice as they jumped and dodged around each other, throwing punches and fire and spores every which way.

"Are you _serious_? Knock it off! Magmar, stop it!" shouted Growlithe, moving around Magmar as he fought, quite underfoot. He and the Breloom were knocking over little food stands and wooden supply boxes as they rolled and tumbled, punching and kicking anything they could. Unfortunately, this included Growlithe…

With a well-placed tail-swing that could have been either battling Pokemon, and a good THWAK, Growlithe was thrown backward, over the railing, and down into the water below. There he resurfaced, struggling to stay that way.

The fight continued, punches thrown left and right until at one point Magmar was about to land a Fire Punch when Richard stopped him.

"Wait-wait!" he said, "Listen!"

Magmar did and shrugged, "I don't hear anything."

"Exactly! Where's the yappy little friend of yours?"

A silenced passed between them before the sound of frantic splashing was heard, followed by a plea for help-

"I can't swim! Someone help! It's so wet! And cold! And…_wet_! HELP!"

Both fighters jumped up and rushed to the railing, looking down to see a little spot of orange fluttering in the waters of the canal below.

"Oh fuck," grumbled Magmar.

"I have to say, that would be my assessment of the situation too," said Richard before shouting to Growlithe. "Hang on! We'll find a way to get you out!"

He got up and looked around. No rope in sight, not anything akin to one. Just broken boxes and stands. Magmar picked up a piece of wood and threw it down.

"Hang on to that while we try and find something!" he shouted. Growlithe latched on the best he could, but without thumbs the wooden board just served as a small amount of buoyancy while he still struggled to stay surfaced…

* * *

Toukon groaned as he continued to walk, his feet aching. He had concluded that this was the worst…festival…EVER! He hadn't any luck with finding his teammates (albeit, he didn't truthfully try very hard) so he just enjoyed the festival. Though, 'enjoy' was the wrong word. Something like 'hated' or 'loathed' would work better. Everything about the festival was water Pokemon this and water Pokemon that; it as driving him out of his mind! If there wasn't a fire festival somewhere in the world, he was going to officially go on strike.

The only Pokemon he had found was Ninetales, but she was busy grinning at the collection of male quadrupeds she'd attracted and that were following her. A Mighyena, a Houndoom, an Umbreon, and more. At least someone was having fun at the festival.

As he turned a corner, he nearly bumped into Draco, who looked equally as annoyed.

"Oh, hey buddy," grumbled Toukon. "Any luck?"

Draco just shook his head and walked with the Combusken, too tired to care about anything else. They passed a few more food stalls before walking along the pier that ran the length of the canal on both sides.

"I hope Claire and Evelyn are having some fun," grumbled Toukon, sounding a bit irritated at the idea that they were, while he and Draco suffered. Draco snickered.

(They're shopping. It's nice to know that while I'm in pain, so is Evelyn. She must be in hell right now,) he mused. Suddenly a group of grass Pokemon rushed past them, screaming.

"What the fuck was that?" asked Toukon, watching them go. Draco wasn't concerned about where they were going. He looked up the canal to see what they were running from. Up on a bridge he could see fire and hear a fight. He nudged Toukon and pointed.

"Great. Why do I have a bad feeling that's someone we know?" he grumbled.

(Because wherever there are property damages or lawsuits, there will be our teammates also. ) mused Draco as they watched the petty squabble. Without warning, something orange and yelping flew from the side and landed in the canal with a loud splash. Even from this distance, Toukon could hear the bossy goody-two-shoes voice of Growlithe.

"I can't swim! Someone help! It's so wet! And cold! And…_wet_! HELP!"

"Fuckin A!" shouted Toukon about the same time Draco mentally screamed it. They both took off, sprinting down the pier toward the bridge just as what looked to be Magmar threw something down for Growlithe to steady himself on…

"Oh, thank Legends!" sighed Richard as Draco and Toukon rounded the corner and ran onto the bridge. "Do you have any rope?"

(Who carries around a fuckin' rope?) grumbled Draco mentally, but his eye roll seemed to convey his thoughts.

"Thought I'd ask!" confessed Richard. Toukon was looking over the edge down at Growlithe, clicking his beak in annoyance.

"Damn it, Magmar! Why do I get the feeling this is your fault?" he shouted, Magmar just growled, throwing debris around while he searched for some means in which to retrieve Growlithe.

"Why don't we just make a rope?" asked Richard.

(Because we're out of fuckin' burlap, you fucktard!) thought Draco, growling in Richards face. The Breloom backpedaled and explained.

"No-no! What I mean is; why don't we hang down from the railing and link together, like those plastic Mankeys-in-Box kids play with?"

Toukon and Draco exchanged glances. It was a good idea, even they had to admit. One nod exchange and the plan was settled.

"Hold on!" shouted Toukon down to Growlithe. "We're going to form a chain by linking up. Just hang on until we can get you!"

"Alright, Magmar; you're going to be the anchor, since you are the largest. Then it'll be Draco, Richard, and then myself, going from heaviest to lightest, for the most part. Got it?" said Richard. The group nodded.

Magmar stood at the railing, holding Draco's tail, who was hanging off the bridge while holding Richard's tail. He in turn held Toukon's foot as they dangled over the waters of the canal. Toukon reached a clawed hand out to Growlithe who was stretching to reach it only a few feet away. In his efforts the wood slipped out from under his paws and he was once again struggling to not drown.

"We're close! I need some slack!" Toukon shouted up. Magmar just frowned and tilted his head before shouting, "What? I can't hear you up here!"

Toukon groaned. Damn him and his hard hearing. He thought he'd try and different approach.

"I need slack! Pass it on!" said Toukon to Richard. The message went up the line until it got to Magmar.

"Now's not the time for a snack!" he shouted down. Toukun nearly shouted in frustration.

"No! Ugh. Tell him we just need a few feet!" he said and the message went up.

"What the fuck do you need teeth for? Dude, focus!" shouted Magmar.

"FUCK!" shouted Toukon before looking at Richard. "What the fuck?"

"Hey, don't look at me! Draco's the one signing with one hand to a guy that sucks at charades and communication in general," said Richard. Toukon groaned and shouted his loudest.

"Magmar!" he bellowed, Magmar looked down at him.

(Good,) thought Toukon. (He heard that…)

"Wrap your tail around a pole on the railing and hang like us, we need the slack!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. Thankfully, Magmar followed the orders. Toukun knew he'd be hoarse later, but it was worth it as he moved downward, finally grabbing Growlithe and holding him above water to breathe.

"Thank –gasp- you! –gasp-" huffed Growlithe. Suddenly the whole chain jerked.

"What was that…?" groaned Toukon, looking up as the chain jerked again. The pole Magmar had wrapped his tail around was bending under the pull and the heat, looking like it might smolder in half any second.

"Oh Legends…" was the last thing Toukun said before the pole gave way and all the Pokemon fell to what was sure to be a watery grave; a fitting ending to the world's worst festival. Yet…no end came…

Draco had slammed his eyes shut, waiting for the impending splash of cold water after his short drop, but nothing happened. He peeked out one eye, wondering what Paradise looked like, but what he saw was no paradise. All the Pokemon were floating in the air above the waters of the canal, surrounded by a pinkish aura.

(What in the hell…) said Draco mentally, trailing off. A familiar voice penetrated the echoing of his mind.

(Why didn't you guys just send Richard to swim out and get him? Or ask another Pokemon to?) asked Shamma the Grumpig as she lifted the whole lot of them up and back to the bridge. She was standing on the walkway, eyes aglow and little hoof-hands moving in time with their movement, steadying her psychic control.

(We hadn't thought of that. Maybe we should have- woah, woah! Wait a tick! How the hell are you here?) he asked as she released them from her control. Before she could answer, the other Pokemon bum-rushed her into a group hug.

"Thank you!" sighed Toukun. And the others echoed his sentiment. Shamma blushed a little before pushing them off.

"Yeah, yeah; don't get use to it. You know, this is a water festival-" she began.

"Don't remind me," interjected Toukon, still not able to get the silly I-can't-believe-I'm-still-alive grin off his face.

"and being such," Shamma continued, glaring at the Combusken, "You had a massive crowd of water types to choose from. Hell, upstream just two blocks is a school of Goldeen!"

"Yeah…we kind of…panicked a bit," muttered Magmar, scratching the back of his head, abashed. Shamma, hands on her hips, just rolled her eyes.

"Now that the pleasantries of 'you saved our lives' is over, you mind if I have a chat with the Silent Wonder over there?" she inquired. Toukon and the rest of the gang were already walking away.

"He's all your's!" he shouted. Draco sputtered wordlessly, looking shocked.

"We'll see you at dinner, dude!" Magmar shouted before he, Toukon, Growlithe, and even Richard walked off the bridge. With a groan, Draco turned to the Grumpig.

(_What?_) he snapped mentally. It had been a long day, and the last thing he needed was this bothersome Pokemon to hassle him about something.

(Now is that any way to talk to someone who just saved your life?) asked Shamma with a snort. Draco rolled his eyes.

(What do you want, Shamma?) He growled back.

(I want to come with you and your team.) said Shamma. Draco was starting to feel the beginnings of a headache creeping into his skull.

(No way!) was his reply. Shamma stomped a hoof.

"Why not?" she snapped out loud. Draco held one clawed hand to rub his head, the other to hold up against Shamma's high pitched voice in defense.

(Why should I?) he countered. Shamma crossed her arms.

(Because you _owe_ me now. The least you could do is translate for me to your girlfriend.)

(She's not-)

(Yeah-yeah, whatever you have to tell yourself to sleep at night, tall dark and scaled. Are you going to help me, or what?)

(How did you even get here?)

(I stowed away on the boat.)

(And why do you want to come with us?)

(I've never seen the world before, and I wasn't living up to my job's requirements at the Tower. They don't need a psychic medium that can't bridge the gap between human and Pokemon thoughts. They'll find someone else, I'm sure of it.)

(Does anyone else know about this?)

(Master Alkier does. I asked him for his advice, and this is more or less what he suggested.)

(Ugh, I thought he was on our side! Baster-)

(Hey! I can still hear you, you know!) snorted the Grumpig. Draco just ignored her and walked past her, following the path of his friends to get back to Evelyn by dinner. Shamma tailed behind him.

(See, this is why I don't want you along! You invade my thoughts; even the deep and VERY private ones!) he growled.

(Alright, fine. If you let me come with, I'll show more respect to your person space and leave your thoughts alone. Deal?) said Shamma, skipping ahead of Draco and stopping in front of him, holding a hoof out to shake. Draco eyed it with contempt.

(You do realize Evelyn will have to catch you, right?) he asked.

(I figured as much. I had a feeling that was going to be my ultimatum, and I've come to terms with it.) she said, hoof still out. With a groan Draco took it and shook it.

(Fine. I agree to bridge the gap and translate to Evelyn. I do NOT, however, guarantee she'll let you tag along.) he said. Shamma grinned.

(You know as well as I that she will,) she said. Draco let go of her hoof so he could hold his aching head with both hands.

(No, you know as well as I do! Now get out of my head and let's go…)

They walked down the bridge and down the pier and streets until they caught up with their friends. Draco noticed a few more had joined in. Claire's Ninetales was there, looking amused at the dripping wet Growlithe. Issac was there, flipper feet patting along the sidewalk and next to him as a Haunter with little spectacles, buried in a book as he floated behind them.

As he approached, his look must have given away his thoughts, because when the Haunter looked up at the incoming figure, he smiled and said, "I evolved!" before going right back to his book like no explanation was needed. Headache sharpening after the long day, Draco had to concur that truly no explanation was needed whatsoever. Alvaro looked back and saw Shamma.

"Hello, Shamma," he said, sounding almost cautious, "What brings you here?"

At this point the whole group stopped to look back and see Shamma, who said, "I'm hoping to join your group."

"Is that so?" said Alvaro, beaming, glancing to the pained looking Draco. "Well, I heard all about the bridge incident, so I'll see to it Draco translates."

"That's the deal," said Shamma happily before skipping past Draco and the group continued toward the strip mall along the edge of the docks, where a big restaurant waited with a big Remoraid painted on it. Out front, overlooking the bay area, were several well-sized picnic tables. Evelyn and Claire sat in one of them, chatting while Evelyn polished and cleaned her egg with a washcloth. Claire spotted them from the corner of her eye and turned to look at them, Evelyn following soon after.

"There you are!" sighed Evelyn from a picnic table. She got up and gave Draco a long hug before turning her attention to her other Pokemon. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Alvaro sincehHe was no longer a Gastly, but a Haunter with a few new accessories. In his floating hands he turned the page in the book he held and was clearly engrossed in.

"Alvaro! Where'd you get those spectacles? Or that book?" she asked. Draco face-palmed. She _would_ notice something like that and overlook the fact that Alvaro had evolved. The Haunter smiled and floated over, showing her the book. It was about basic survival, with diagrams and charts and many things Evelyn would have to investigate further to understand.

"I like it, very practical, very you, Alvaro," she said, and then frowned, "When did you evolve?"

Haunter turned to Draco, who had sat down on the bench and was pressing a cold can of soda onto his head, looking very much stressed. Evelyn walked over and sat down next to him, resting her chin on his shoulder as she waited for him to be calm enough to explain. Draco was ready to tell her, but first he simply enjoyed the feel of a cold can against his head and her warmth against his should and neck as she breathed. Finally he put the soda down and turned to her. The other Pokemon had already sat down and were tucking into the festival food.

"It's a long story," signed Draco. Evelyn snorted.

"It's been a long day," she reasoned. Draco snorted. He must have looked as aggravated as he felt because then Evelyn added, "What is it?"

"It's about to get longer," he signed and jerked his head to the side. Standing a few feet away from the table was Shamma the Grumpig, looking quite abashed.

"How did…when did…she…?" stumbled Evelyn, looking back and for the between their guest and an exasperated Draco. She soothed his back with her hand. "You're going to have to tell me what happened today."

"I've had a busy day," he signed before dropping his head to the table with a growl.

"You and me both, buddy…" mumbled Evelyn.

Draco dove into an explanation of his own day. How he and Toukon went looking for their friends, with no luck, and about how they saved Growlithe from drowning, but nearly drowned themselves if it weren't for Shamma. Then he pressed on, telling her about Shamma's desire to join their little family. Evelyn, at this point, was watching Draco's signing out of the corner of her eye while looking at Shamma with a smile.

"Anyone who saves my Drake from something like that is welcome in our group any day. Shamma," she said, taking a Pokeball out of her bag and expanding it before holding it out to the Grumpig, "Would you do me the honor of joining our team?"

Shamma beamed, dancing in spot. Draco, seeing the glee in her, felt suddenly guilty for not wanting her to join. She looked so excited at this opportunity, and not once had he imagined what it must have been like to live trapped in that tower while people tried to teach you something you couldn't learn for a job you didn't want…Shamma looked at him, as if asking for permission. Draco was glad she kept her promise of not invading his mind when he didn't want her to. He nodded approval and Shamma nearly dove at the button on the ball before being swallowed up in red light.

"Well that's that!" said Evelyn after she released Shamma and the Grumpig sat down on the other side of Draco. "Welcome the newest addition to our family, boys!"

The entire table fell into applause, even Claire's Pokemon. Claire clapped, but she was glaring at a guilty looking Magmar the entire time. While Draco had been conveying the story, Evelyn was translating out loud for everyone, Claire included, to hear. Naturally, she was a little peeved at Magmar, but not enough to stop the dinner.

"Now what about Alvaro?" asked Evelyn as they began to eat. "What happened with you?"

Draco spent the rest of the meal eating and translating as Alvaro voiced his own festival adventure. Time passed and the gang finished their meal and relaxed. Through the stillness of the late-festival night, a loud fog horn boomed out, making them jump. Evelyn and Claire exchanged glances.

"Evelyn, what time does your ticket say the ship leaves? Somewhere around ten, right?" asked Claire. Evelyn pulled her tickets from her bag's front pocket and blanched.

"Not even close; more like six. What time is it," asked Evelyn. Claire looked at her watch and jumped up.

"Five fifty, let's go!" she commanded and everyone jumped up, gathering whatever they needed before the whole group took off down the pier and to the docks. There, waiting for them, was a massive cruise ship, steam pouring out of it. A vested ticket man was just starting up its ramp when they approached, shouting for them to wait.

"You're very late," said the old man, disapproving. Huffing and panting, Evelyn apologized and thanked him. The man gave a curt nod. "Sure thing. Hurry and come along so we can pull the ramp up."

With that, he started up the ramp, but at a slow pace, giving Evelyn and Claire time for farewells. Evelyn turned to her redheaded friend.

"I guess this is goodbye…" she muttered, just realizing what that meant. Claire waved it off.

"For now. I plan on beating you in battle some day, so you can bet we'll me again. Who knows? You might see me some time on our travels," said Claire. Evelyn smiled and embraced her tightly before letting go and leading her Pokemon onto the ship. It was nearing nightfall, and the ship was ready to depart. She gave her tickets to the man at the top of the platform and handed her a cabin card before she and her Pokemon lined up along the railing, looking down at Claire and her team.

"Good luck in Snowpoint!" called Claire as the ship began to move. She waved at Evelyn, and Evelyn waved back along with all the Pokemon as the ship took off. A ways out, when the dock began to shrink in the distance, they stopped waving. With a sigh, Evelyn said good night to all her Pokemon before returning them. It had been a long day for everyone, thought Evelyn, and she took Draco's hand in hers and dragged him off to find their cabin.

* * *

**Chapter End Notes:**

_I have to say, it's nice to see that so many people approve of my story; oh, and the compliments! I hate to sound arrogant, but I do feed off of those reviews, whether they be positive or negative (albeit, the positive ones taste better.) Wow. To my Fanfiction friends; I get an email every time someone favorites my profile, the story, or request a story alert, which is sweet. However, it would be nice if you could also give a review while you're at it and fill me in on what you think. What you like, what you don't like; anything! Again, I FEED off reviews!_

_A BIG thanks to reviewers who stick with it and always leave an opinion, I LOVE you guys!  
_

_Next Chapter:__** Rough Watters  
**_

_Yet another meet up with an old friend, and some old foes. Even through rough waters, lessons are learned, realizations are made, and chances are taken...  
_


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